Puma CEO to lead Adidas

Today, November 8, the German sportswear manufacturer Adidas AG announcedthat Norwegian top manager Bjorn Gulden, who has headed Puma since 2013, will become its new CEO from January 1. On finding a successor to outgoing Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted reported a few days earlier. Today, Puma statedthat its new CEO instead of Bjorn Gulden, who is leaving Adidas, will be Arne Freundt, who now holds the position of commercial director of Puma.

Many experts consider Bjorn Gulden is the author of the successful reorganization of Puma, which in recent years has become one of the most fashionable mass brands in the sportswear streetwear market in recent years, in addition to specializing in sportswear. In the third quarter of this year, Puma showed record sales, which increased by 17% compared to the same period last year, and by 18% since the beginning of the year. Adidas has a profit in the third quarter of this year decreased by 2.5 times, the company will present a full report for the third quarter on November 9.

The transition of the head of Puma to Adidas is also remarkable because for a long time the founders of these companies – brothers Rudolf and Adolf Dassler – were in a very difficult relationship with each other, reaching a direct confrontations. The headquarters of both companies are located in the same small German city of Herzogenaurach, and for several decades even the inhabitants of the city were divided into those who were for Adidas or for Puma. After the death of the brothers, the new company leaders did everything to end the hostility and turn into normal competition. In 2009, between employees of both companies, there was even held “conciliatory” football match.

Evgeniy Khvostik