The head of global human resources at footwear and apparel giant Adidas informed the company last week she has decided to step down after 23 years with the company. Her departure follows a controversial remark she made that sparked outrage among Black employees, and now Adidas said it is making changes to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...