Sports company PUMA has created a podcast series to make its 2022 Sustainability Report more accessible and to reach a wider and younger audience. The RE:GEN REPORTS podcast features next-generation thinkers from six countries and distills the content of the report into 10 podcast episodes, of which the first three are available on all major podcast platforms on June 1.

The RE:GEN REPORTS podcast, as well as the recently announced Voices of a Re:Generation project, comes as a direct result of the feedback PUMA received at last year’s Conference of the People, which the company organized to discuss solutions for some of the fashion industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges with Gen-Z representatives, industry peers and experts.

“We believe in collaboration, when it comes to sustainability, whether it is NGOs, brands or consumers, especially young people, who will have to live with the decisions made today,” says Anne-Laure Descours, Chief Sourcing Officer at PUMA. “During last year’s Conference of the People, we saw that we needed to do more to reach out to younger generations when we talk about sustainability. A sustainability report as a podcast has never been done before in our industry, but we believe it is an important step to connect with GEN-Z audiences and open up these important conversations.”

Each episode of RE:GEN REPORTS will discuss one of PUMA’s 10for25 sustainability targets, covering topics from human rights to sustainable material sourcing, to explain why the company set targets in these areas and what progress it has made. An additional seven episodes will be released weekly from June 8 until July 20.

Based on PUMA’s target to train 100,000 direct and indirect staff on women’s empowerment comes the Human Rights episode. Anya Dillard, US-based award-winning activist, model, and social entrepreneur speaks to Viola Wan, PUMA’s Teamhead of Social Sustainability based in China. The episode discusses PUMA’s audit work with factories in its supply chain.

A target to make 100% of all PUMA products safe to use is the basis of the Chemicals episode. This episode features Germany-based sustainable and healthy living vlogger Luke Jaque-Rodney in conversation with Klaas Nuttbohm from ZDHC, an organisation leading the fashion industry to eliminate harmful chemicals. Luke is one of PUMA’s Voices of a Re:Generation, working with PUMA to translate sustainability in a way that makes sense to and engages with the next generation.

The third episode, Circularity, is based on the target to reduce production waste to landfills by at least 50%. US-based up-cycler, and another of PUMA’s Voices of a Re:Generation, Andrew Burgess is joined by PUMA’s Senior Manager Corporate Strategy, Simon Hessel. The two discuss the chemical recycling process and how it’s used in RE:FIBRE, PUMA’s textile to textile recycling project.

Collaboration across the industry is key to unlocking sustainable progress. Throughout the podcast series, PUMA will feature representatives from industry bodies, businesses and NGOs that push brands to ensure more sustainable practises are in place and monitored. Guests on RE:GEN REPORTS include Fair Labour Association’s Chief of Staff, Shelly Han, UNFCCC’s Sector’s Engagement in Climate Action Lead, Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Canopy’s Founder and Executive Director, Nicole Rycroft and Leather Working Group’s Traceability Manager, Vanessa Brain.

PUMA has secured the help of several next-generation entrepreneurs and sustainability experts to host each episode such as Amina Shakeel, Fair Labour Association (FLA) student committee member, Bertha Shum, Hong Kong based founder and CEO of Earthero, Ripudaman Bevli, India based environmentalist and social activist, Melissa Tan, Malaysia based climate action and sustainability advocate, Yumika Hoskin, US-based Pecobag founder, Diandra Marizet US-based intersectional environmentalist, and Monica Buchan-Ng, the Acting Head of Knowledge Exchange at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion in the UK.

PUMA’s sustainability efforts have been recognized several times. In 2022, the brand topped the Business of Fashion sustainability ranking, the platform on living wage financials ranking, and the FTSE4Good ranking within its sectors. It was included in the Corporate Knights global top 100 most sustainable companies ranking, maintained its triple-A ranking with MSCI and its prime status with ISS; two leading sustainability rating agencies. Reuters also ranked it as number two within its sector and, in S&P sustainability benchmarking, PUMA outperformed all other sports brands for the first time since 2010.

PUMA’s full 2022 Sustainability Report can be accessed here.

For more information about the RE:GEN Reports podcast and to listen to first three episodes, click here.

• Reorganization to improve alignment across key business categories and accelerate decision-making

• Relocation of Brand Management and Marketing Operations from Boston to Herzogenaurach-HQ

• Strengthening of local US marketing team by increased responsibilities

• Richard Teyssier appointed as new Global Brand & Marketing Director

• PUMA CEO Arne Freundt: “With the reorganization of our Global Marketing function we will lay the organizational foundation to relentlessly drive brand elevation as one of our key strategic priorities.“

As part of the implementation of its strategic priorities, German sports company PUMA is reorganizing the global Marketing Organization. The decision lays the organizational foundation for further elevating the PUMA brand, one of the company’s three strategic priorities. Going-forward PUMA’s Global Marketing Organization will be based at the company’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany to improve alignment and accelerate decision-making with the company’s Global Business Units, Global Go-To-Market function, and Creative Direction. This involves the relocation of the Brand Management and Marketing Operations departments from Boston to Herzogenaurach, effective July 1. At the same time, the marketing organization of PUMA North America will be further strengthened by the assignment of responsibilities for local sports marketing and local partnership management in order to elevate the brand in the US market. 

“PUMA’s brand is at the heart of our company’s success,” said Arne Freundt, CEO of PUMA. “Yet, our analyses clearly show that PUMA has significant opportunities to leverage the full potential of its brand. This is why relentlessly elevating our brand is one of our key strategic priorities. With the Global Marketing Organization being based in proximity to our key central functions at the HQ, we will lay the organizational foundation for this. It will ensure brand consistency and speed up decision-making to further strengthen the PUMA brand and it will make us even more consumer-centric. With the new setup, we will be able to drive more impactful campaigns to further establish our brand in the minds of our consumers.”

In the context of the reorganization, PUMA’s Global Chief Brand Officer Adam Petrick has decided to not transition to Herzogenaurach, but to pursue new challenges outside of PUMA, after over two decades with the brand. He will be with the company until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.

PUMA’s Regional General Manager Europe Richard Teyssier will lead the Global Marketing Organization as Global Brand & Marketing Director, effective 1 July 2023. In this role, he will report directly to PUMA CEO Arne Freundt. Richard has broad expertise in brand management and marketing after 17 years in leading Marketing functions at Mars Inc., where he was responsible for some of the company’s most iconic brands, such as M&Ms and TWIX in France prior to joining PUMA in 2010. At PUMA, Richard had been General Manager for the French market until 2021 before assuming responsibility for Central Europe, France, UK & Ireland, Southern Europe, Northern Europe across all channels. He will continue to lead the Region Europe until his successor is announced.

“I would like to thank Adam Petrick for his significant contribution to PUMA’s success during his more than 20-year-tenure with PUMA,” said Arne Freundt. “With Richard Teyssier, we have found the ideal candidate to drive PUMA’s brand elevation strategy in the future. He is not only a true marketing specialist who comes with a strong expertise in brand management. He is also an integral part of our PUMA family and knows the business inside out from his more than 12 years of general management at PUMA France and PUMA Europe.” 

David Lu will further strengthen PUMA China’s top management by replacing Shirley as Commercial Director. He has been with PUMA since March 2023 and has worked in the fashion and sports industry for more than 15 years. Most recently, he worked as the General Manager of Retail Operations at Levi’s.

All of these changes will become effective July 1, 2023.