Puma SE has appointed Arthur Hoeld as CEO, effective July 1, 2025. He will succeed Arne Freundt who will step down on April 11, 2025 due to “differing views on strategy execution”.
Puma Has Appointed Arthur Hold As Its New CEO
Puma has struggled to boost sales for over a year and is confident that Arthur Hoeld will lead the German sports brand into a new chapter of growth. Born and raised in Bavaria, Hoeld joined adidas started in 1998, as part of the advertising and International marketing team. Between 2011-2016, he led the Originals and Core Global team. During those years, Originals grew to a multi-billion Euro business. In July 2018, he assumed the role of Europe Managing Director following which he headed adidas’ largest market EMEA, covering more than seventy countries. In April 2023 he was appointed Global Board Member Sales and Markets.
“I am incredibly excited to join the Puma family as their new CEO,” confirmed Arthur Hoeld. “Puma is one of the most authentic brands in our industry with an incredibly strong legacy. Their products, worn by the best athletes, created unforgettable moments. Sports authenticity and an exciting brand proposition will be our key focus in the future.”
“We are pleased to appoint Arthur Hoeld, a sports industry expert with a proven track-record and strong commercial expertise built over the last twenty-six years, as the new CEO of Puma,” said Héloïse Temple-Boyer, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Puma SE. “We are convinced that thanks to his strategic vision and focus on product and brand, Arthur will lead Puma into a new chapter of strength and growth.”
“It was a privilege to lead this amazing company with its iconic brand and great employees and I am proud of the achievements reached together. I am confident in Puma’s future prospects and will cheer for the best team in the industry moving forward,” said Arne Freundt.
Puma has replaced chief executive Arne Freundt with Adidas’s former sales head Arthur HoeldAs of July 1, 2025, Puma’s Management Board will consist of CEO Arthur Hoeld, CFO Markus Neubrand, CPO Maria Valdes and CCO Matthias Bäumer.
Puma unveils ‘Go Wild’ campaign
The story of Puma began in Rudolf Dassler’s mother’s laundry room where his brother Adolf made sports shoes after his return from WWI. It quickly became a leader in footwear, apparel, and accessories, renowned for collaborations with top athletes, fashion designers, and cultural icons, and iconic products like the Suede, Speedcat, and RS series cemented its reputation as a trendsetter.
For 75 years, Puma has pushed sport and culture forward and has always promoted sport as a way to embrace self-expression and joy. Through the launch of “Go Wild”, Puma is championing the power of unveiling our true selves through sport, unlocking our authentic self and in turn, unleashing our greatness.
Puma’s Go Wild campaign
“Puma has always been home to athletes who achieved greatness in sports by being their true selves and following their own path to success”, said Arne Freundt. “Iconic personalities from the past and the present like Tommie Smith, Usain Bolt, Breanna Stewart or Neymar are great ambassadors of the unique Puma DNA: our athletes with a great personality embracing self-expression and joy.”
The 2025 campaign kicks off with the release of the ‘Go Wild’ hero film, a tribute to runners unlocking the runner’s high: a rush of happy chemicals released during physical activity, rooted in the belief that running is at its best when you chase the runner’s high. The ‘Go Wild’ film moves away from featuring athletes and celebrities, and instead celebrates the everyday runner, including the early-rising runners, a runner with their dog, a new mum, or running as a community.
“This new brand campaign represents a new vision for sport and a new chapter for Puma, aligned with the expectations of a younger generation and rooted in Puma’s history. In times of social media follower-ship and ‘meme’ culture, we want to inspire the professional and everyday athletes to look inside themselves to find their own greatness and have the courage to unleash their true self”, says Richard Teyssier, Global VP Brand and Marketing at Puma.
Puma’s Go Wild campaign
The ‘Go Wild’ global campaign went live on 20 March, 2025 and will continue through 2025–26 by strategically spotlighting different categories within sport, including basketball and football, and leveraging key global sporting events.
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
