Dive Brief:
- Puma has named a new vice president of direct-to-consumer, according to a Wednesday press release. Erik Janshen has more than a decade of experience in digital sales and DTC, per the company.
- Janshen, most recently the senior vice president of digital sales for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, will lead the brand’s global DTC sales, including stores, e-commerce and “several online marketplaces.”
- Janshen succeeds Karthik Balagopalan, who previously ran the business and has been overseeing DTC on an interim basis since last August, when he was promoted to managing director of Puma India.
Dive Insight:
Puma has named a new leader of its DTC business as the activewear brand looks to improve the quality of its distribution channels and better communicate with shoppers. Puma in the first quarter reported DTC grew double digits, with fewer discounts in the channel, to 494 million euros (roughly $530 million at current rates).
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Erik join the PUMAFamily, and I am confident that his leadership will drive us towards our ambitious goals to elevate our DTC consumer experience to drive further brand heat,” Puma CEO Arne Freundt said in a statement. “His innovative approach and passion for consumer-centric strategies will undoubtedly be an asset for our DTC business.”
The appointment comes amid a larger overhaul of the brand’s leadership, which started in November 2022, when former CEO Bjørn Gulden left Puma to take over the top spot at Adidas, pushing then-Chief Commercial Officer Freundt to take the helm at Puma. About six months later, Puma restructured its marketing organization and moved it to Germany, causing the company’s global brand chief to step down.
The move was aimed at putting Puma’s marketing team closer to its creative direction, go-to-market and global business departments, while also giving the North America team more control over marketing in that region. To that end, Puma this year said it would open a design and marketing space in Los Angeles in 2025 in a bid to be “closer to the most influential communities and celebrities” and win market share in the U.S.
The company launched its first global brand campaign in a decade in April, emphasizing sports performance ahead of the Summer Olympics. Puma in September also announced the return of its Fenty x Puma partnership with Rihanna, with the artist serving as creative director of the initiative.
Within the past year, the brand also named a senior director of global brand strategy and brought on an Adidas veteran to lead North American wholesale sales.
