Adidas and Pro Soccer Vet Scot Thompson Joins Thesis as Head of Engagement, Culture and Inclusion

Portland agency Thesis has named Scot Thompson to its leadership team. A California native, Thompson joins as head of engagement, culture and inclusion. He arrives from Adidas, where he served as senior sports marketing manager, working on the brand’s United Against Racism project, which focused on investing in BIPOC and underserved communities with the Black Players Coalition (BPC), Black Women’s Player Collective, and the US Soccer Foundation.

“We’re excited to welcome Scot to the team, backing our commitment and investment in creating a culture of inclusion at Thesis,” said Keely York, Thesis president.

In this role, Thompson will lead the diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities at B Corp-certified Thesis. This includes driving the agency’s cultural strategy, formalizing policies that reinforce diversity in the workplace, developing benchmarks that measure and sustainably advance DEI, and engaging with the creative, business, and nonprofit communities in Portland. He will also oversee Thesis’s DEI committee, the Shift.

“I am excited to join Thesis and work with the amazing team that Keely and Ryan [Buchanan, Thesis founder and CEO] have put together,” said Thompson. “Their commitments to equity and inclusion both internally and within the community inspired me to join. This role weaves together an important thread from my professional experiences. Understanding each other’s strengths and differences produces creativity and harmony, leading to a more successful team and engaged community. I look forward to championing a workplace of inclusion not only within Thesis but in our community.”

Thompson was first-team All-Pac-10 in his senior year at UCLA and played professional soccer for the LA Galaxy and the Portland Timbers. In 2011, after retiring from the game in 2010, the beloved Timbers star was named official community ambassador, acting as the primary liaison between the Timbers community outreach department and other selected ambassadors. He was an assistant coach for the Portland Thorns in 2014.

Known initially as eROI when founded in 2002, Thesis has implemented several internal and external DEI programs, including establishing an internal DEI team, employee resource groups (ERGs), and a wage equity plan. In fall 2019, employees created Thesis Foundation, a charitable arm of the agency, to expand its commitment to racial and cultural diversity in the community. In 2020, Thesis initiated a yearlong DEI roadmap to formalize many of its programs and build a blueprint for other companies to replicate.

“We know that diversity makes us better, promotes innovation, and attracts greater talent,” noted York. “Scot’s lived experience, proven leadership skills, and ability to unify people will be crucial in advancing our internal DEI initiatives, as well as external efforts to build a more inclusive creative and business community in Portland.”