The industry professional, whose career included Intersport, Salomon, Nike and ASICS, passed away in Barcelona on 19 October at the age of 58. In the final stage of his career, he dedicated his experience to projects connected with padel.
The sporting goods industry is mourning the death of Gustavo Oliva, who passed away in Barcelona on 19 October at the age of 58, following a three-year battle with colon cancer. Throughout his career, Oliva built an extensive professional track record at some of the leading international sporting goods companies while maintaining a close connection with padel, both professionally and as a competitive player.
After studying Business Administration at Esade, he began his career at Intersport in 1995, spending five years as a product manager for footwear and hard goods. In 2000, he joined Salomon as Sales Director for its Iberian subsidiary. Two years later, he moved to Nike, where he took on commercial responsibilities across the ACG, tennis and basketball categories.
In 2006, he began a new chapter at ASICS Europe, where he worked for 14 years as a category manager. This experience gave him insight into different areas of the sporting goods business, from product management and distribution to the commercial strategies of international brands.
In October 2020, Oliva became an independent professional, focusing on the development of projects related to padel. During this period, he worked with federations, circuits, brands and clubs, bringing more than two decades of industry experience to the sport.
His relationship with padel, however, extended far beyond business. Oliva reached the top ten of the Catalan ranking and the top 50 in Spain. He also captained the Catalan team between 2014 and 2017 and worked as a coach, maintaining a direct involvement in the sport and its community.
His career therefore brought together two complementary areas of expertise: extensive professional experience at major sporting goods companies and a deep personal commitment to padel. This combination allowed him to contribute to the sport from several different perspectives.
His passing leaves a void among the professionals who shared different stages of his career. Gustavo Oliva will be remembered for his experience, his commitment to sport and his dedication to padel, a discipline with which he remained closely involved throughout the final stage of his professional life.
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