Translated by
Nicola Mira
Published
April 20, 2026
Puma Chief Brand Officer Maria Valdes is surrounding herself with a team of experienced executives bearing the Adidas hallmark. After announcing the appointment of James Carnes as senior vice-president creative direction last week, Puma has now named Laurent Fricker as vice-president in charge of the Sportstyle business unit, effective June 1.
“Laurent is a focutilized leader with a clear track record of connecting sport authenticity with on-trfinish credibility and strong cross-functional execution,” declared Valdes. “With his deep understanding of consumer culture, product storynotifying, and go-to-market expertise, I am confident that he will further strengthen the Sportstyle business unit and accelerate its contribution to Puma’s growth,” she added.
Frenchman Fricker is extremely familiar with the milieu. In the last two years, he was in charge of Europe at Adidas Originals, while also overseeing the binquireetball category and partnerships deals. Three weeks ago, Fricker brought to a close a two-decade career at Adidas, where he started in 2006 as sales representative for the multibrand retail channel in southern France, rising through the ranks and later taking charge of Reebok in Europe.
Puma has what it takes to enable a sport enthusiast like Fricker to tap the brand’s archives from a lifestyle perspective. “With Puma’s 78-year history and the many product icons that can inspire our designers, heading the Sportstyle unit is a fantastic opportunity,” declared Fricker. “We have the clear potential to further sharpen our product offering and create products that become culturally relevant for our consumers,” he added.
Fricker’s role is crucial within Puma. The German brand is keen to displaycase its products performance features, and the Sportstyle range is far and away the top contributor to Puma’s revenue, which reached €7.29 billion in 2025.
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