Graf-Vlachy, a Slovenian national, started her career at PUMA in 2013 and took charge of the Global Strategy Department in 2015. In that role, she laid the foundations of PUMA’s new women’s strategy. She has been in charge of the global Go-To-Market team since 2018, where she improved PUMA’s product creation and go-to-market processes. Before joining PUMA, she obtained a PhD in chemistry and worked as a Project Manager at the Boston Consulting Group.

Nina Graf-Vlachy will take over the role of General Manager DACH from Matthias Bäumer, who became General Manager BU Teamsport in June 2020.

Neymar Jr. will not only wear PUMA boots on pitch, but will be a brand ambassador off-pitch, wearing PUMA’s most important lifestyle, training, and sport-inspired footwear and apparel products.

“Neymar Jr. joining our PUMA Family is fantastic”, said Bjørn Gulden, CEO of PUMA. “He is one of the best players in the world and extremely influential for the global football and youth culture. We are very excited and look forward to working with him both on and off the pitch."

In a message to his fans on his social media channels entitled “The KING is Back”, Neymar Jr. spoke about the impact that football greats such as Pelé and Maradona have had on his life, and  his decision to follow in their footsteps by partnering with PUMA.

“I grew up watching videos of great football legends such as Pelé, Cruyff, Matthäus, Eusébio and  Maradona” Neymar Jr. said. “These were the KINGs of the pitch, the KINGs of my sport. I wish to bring back the legacy that those athletes created on the pitch. They each played in PUMA, and each of them created their magic in The KING.”

Before joining PUMA in 2015, Johan was a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group after holding several positions in Marketing and Sales at L’Oréal. At PUMA, he has played an integral part in defining more effective organizational setups, managing the spin-off from Kering in 2018 and, most recently, coordinating the company’s crisis management in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Taking over from Johan, Moritz Schneidmüller, Teamhead Global Go-To-Market Strategy, will be promoted to Head of Corporate Strategy with immediate effect. Moritz started his career with PUMA in the Corporate Strategy department, where he worked from 2011 until 2014. Afterwards, he held various project management and strategy-related roles across Cobra PUMA Golf, Global eCom, Corporate Strategy and Global Go-To-Market. Moritz will report directly to PUMA CEO Bjørn Gulden.

LaMelo Ball will be entering this year’s NBA draft as one of the most sought out athletes, after becoming one of the youngest Americans to play professionally abroad in Lithuania and Australia. At just 19 years old, Ball is redefining the next generation of basketball through his electrifying playing style on the court and his personal style off the court.

“LaMelo’s physical gifts and dynamic play on the court, as well as his unique sense of personal style, make him a natural fit for PUMA,” said Adam Petrick, Global Director of Brand and Marketing at PUMA. “We are thrilled to add him to our roster of talented athletes and at just 19 years old, we can’t wait to see his impact on the broader culture surrounding basketball.”

As part of the partnership, PUMA will collaborate with Ball to create products that incorporate PUMA’s culture first approach – blurring the lines between sports, culture, music and fashion. The first collab will be a PUMA x LaMelo Ball T-shirt and hoodie set to release November 18 in correlation with the 2020 NBA Draft. 

“I don’t know what normal is. I personally chose a different path to achieve my success because that defines who I am,” said Ball. “I know some people think I am mysterious or ‘not from here,’ and I might have to agree. I am someone who likes to be different and consider myself to be one of one. That’s the message I want to share in my upcoming projects with PUMA.” 

PUMA and LaMelo’s approach to their partnership will fall under the “Not from Here” creative concept, which LaMelo came up with himself to represent his “one of one” attitude. 

PUMA also will be teaming up with Ball to support various giveback programs that will encourage youth to stay active through basketball skill camps, equipment and clothing donations, court refurbishments and more. 

Maria has been with PUMA for ten years and most recently worked as Senior Head of Product Line Management Footwear in the business unit Sportstyle. Before joining PUMA, she worked in product development and marketing for both L’Oréal and Inditex. In her new role, she will report directly to PUMA CEO Bjørn Gulden. 

After more than 18 years with PUMA, Reinhard Dischner, the current General Manager of the business unit Sportstyle, has decided to leave the company at the end of the year. Until then, he will stay with PUMA to ensure a smooth transition to Maria. 

“It is great to see that we were able to fill this important role from within the organization,” said PUMA CEO Bjørn Gulden. “This ensures a smooth transition and continuity, which are important, especially in these turbulent times. I wish Maria all the best in her new role and I would like to thank Reinhard for the great job he has done for our company. He played a very important role in our success.”

Dancers wore a mix of classic PUMA footwear, like the Suede, and apparel during the
performance as well. Dua was also seen wearing pieces of PUMA footwear like the RS-X
during rehearsals. Her “Studio 2054” performance gave viewers the chance to stream her
show at home, as she performed live from a warehouse in the UK. She sang a number of her
most popular songs alongside a slew of guest performers, including Kylie Minogue, Elton
John, FKA twigs, Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus, and more. The show had a record-breaking 5 million
views, surpassing previous streaming numbers of any other artist.

The PUMA Suede has been an intrinsic part of history, and it will continue to be for all
time. Always available on PUMA.com, PUMA stores, and retailers worldwide.

Image credit: Pixie Levinson

PUMA’s subsidiaries in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain were also named Top Employers once again in 2021. PUMA South Africa received the Top Employer award for the first time this year.

PUMA was the only company from the sporting goods industry to receive the award for all of Europe in 2021.

“Because of the pandemic, 2020 has been a challenging year for us all, so it is great to see that our strategy to put our employees first has been once again recognized in this way,” said Dietmar Knoess, Global Director of People and Organization at PUMA. “We will continue to look for ways to improve, so we can retain this prestigious title.”

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers 6 HR domains consisting of 20 topics such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being and Diversity & Inclusion and more.

Flexible working hours and mobile working have long been a part of working at PUMA. The company also supports employees outside of work through financial and pension planning, childcare support and provides extensive development and learning programs.

The beat just dropped, so did Mirage Tech. Available starting February 22^nd in PUMA Stores, PUMA.com, and select retailers worldwide. Be on the lookout for additional colorways and new Mirage designs which will release throughout 2021.

It is not the first time PUMA and Women Win have worked together. In 2020, PUMA donated 100,000 euros to the organization as part of its “Forever Tied Together” campaign to support Women Win’s efforts in advancing gender equity from the bottom up.

For women and girls, sport is a powerful tool to challenge gender norms and stereotypes, to regain ownership of their bodies, to experience joy, freedom and pleasure. Giving girls and women access to sports can create opportunities for them to team up, speak out and get active –in sports and in their communities – which in turn can create more equal societies.

Women Win was started in 2006 as a global women’s fund dedicated to advancing girls’ and women’s rights through sports. Since then, their programs have impacted more than 4 million girls in 100 countries around the world.

“Women Win believes in the power of joined efforts to impact girls and women’s rights globally. It’s thanks to our partnerships that we are able to support local activist and implementing partners to drive the change needed for a future where every woman and girl exercises their rights,” said Maria Bobenrieth, Women Win’s Executive Director.

Photo credits: Soccer Without Borders and Empodera