PUMA's Background PDF download - About PUMA

PRESS KIT
PUMA’S BACKGROUND
Founded in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, PUMA is one of the world’s largest
providers of Sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. The PUMA Group owns the
brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and Tretorn. The company distributes its products in more
than 120 countries and employs about 11,000 people worldwide. It is committed to
working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting Creativity, SAFE
Sustainability and Peace, and by staying true to the principles of being Fair, Honest,
Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken.
Over the years, PUMA has stayed true to its four cornerstones: heritage, sport,
technological innovation and design. The brand is focusing on bringing distinctive
designs and a global outlook to each product range by blending influences of sport,
lifestyle and fashion. This fusion is known as “Sportlifestyle”. PUMA views sport as a
philosophy on life – one that emphasizes fitness, wellness and simply living an active
life. Since Sport can be different things to different people, PUMA approaches it in a
greater-lifestyle context, while not compromising performance. This is exactly what the
brand means when it speaks of “Sportlifestyle”.
In 1993, at the age of thirty, Jochen Zeitz is appointed CEO. Zeitz spearheads and is
responsible for the worldwide restructuring of PUMA, which was in financial difficulties at
the time. He reaches the first major milestone within his first year as CEO, when PUMA
deliveres its first profitable performance since 1986, posting consolidated sales of 210
million Euros with an EBIT of 23 million Euros in 1994. In 2010, PUMA reaches net
earnings of 202 million Euros and consolidated sales of more than 2.7 billion Euros. The
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share price rises from 8.6 Euros in 1993 to an all time high of 350 Euros in April 2007.
Zeitz manages to turn PUMA from a low price brand into a premium Sportlifestyle
company and one of the top 3 brands in the sporting good industry by sticking to a
long-term development plan that he introduced in 1993.
In 2007, French luxury group PPR (now Kering), one of the world’s top fashion and retail
companies, acquires more than 60 percent of PUMA. With the support of Kering, PUMA
strengthens its position as the leading company in the Sportlifestyle market with a
continued focus on long-term sustainable growth. With the transformation of the
company into a European Corporation (SE) in July 2011 Franz Koch succeeds Jochen
Zeitz as CEO after 18 years in this position. Zeitz ensures a continuous strategic
management of the company’s next phase of its corporate development as the
Executive Chairman of the one-tier PUMA SE Board until the end of November 2012.
As of December 2012, Jean-François Palus, Group Managing Director of PPR, takes over
as Chairman of the Administrative Board of PUMA SE. And on April 18 th , 2013, the
Administrative Board of PUMA SE appoints Björn Gulden (47) as the Sportlifestyle
company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 July 2013. Björn Gulden brings
to PUMA an extensive international experience of nearly 20 years in the sporting goods
and footwear industry, where he held a variety of management positions. His main task
is to lead PUMA through its continuing restructuring and transformation program.
With the objective of being “The Most Desirable and Sustainable Sportlifestyle
Company”, PUMA's position as one of the few, true multi-category brands is to be
strengthened and the opportunities offered by the Sportlifestyle market are to be
systematically exploited in all categories and regions. As a multi-category supplier, PUMA
is active in categories and business fields/divisions that suit its unique brand positioning,
and in which permanent value increases can be achieved for the company.
PUMAVision forms the guiding principle for PUMA and our global partnerships and
commitments. It combines the concepts and initiatives of PUMA with respect to
„entrepreneurial sustainability“ and „social responsibility“. The four principles of
PUMAVision, fair, honest, positive and creative constitute the compass of our
company, employees, partners and target groups with respect to all our decisions.
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PUMAVision reflects our vision of a better world – a world that is more peaceful, safer,
and more creative than the world that we know today.
Media Contact:
Ulf Santjer – Corporate Communications – PUMA – +49 9132 81 2489 – ulf.santjer@puma.com
Kerstin Neuber – Corporate Communications – PUMA – +49 9132 81 2984 – kerstin.neuber@puma.com
PUMA
PUMA is one of the world’s leading Sportlifestyle companies that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories.
It is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting Creativity, SAFE Sustainability and Peace,
and by staying true to the principles of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken.
PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. Its Sport Performance and Lifestyle labels include categories such as Football,
Running, Motorsports, Golf and Sailing. Sport Fashion features collaborations with renowned designer labels such as
Alexander McQueen and Mihara Yasuhiro. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and Tretorn. The
company, which was founded in 1948, distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs about 11,000 people
worldwide and has headquarters in Herzogenaurach/Germany, Boston, London and Hong Kong. For more information,
please visit www.puma.com
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