Puma Taps Markus Neubrand as CFO in Another Big Hire

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Puma has tapped Markus Neubrand as its new chief financial officer and board member, effective Oct 1. He replaces Hubert Hinterseher, who will remain with the company through Dec. 31 to help ensure a smooth transition of the role.

The move represents the latest high profile hire for the German sportswear company. This month, Tara McRae assumed the role of senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy for Puma North America after previously holding several marketing roles with the athletic powerhouse from 2006 to 2016. And in June, Puma hired fashion industry veteran Erik Janshen as vice president of direct-to-consumer.

Neubrand joins from Guess Inc., where he held the role CFO since July 2023. Before that, he served as CFO of luxury fashion brand MCM Worldwide and as chief operating and CFO of Americas for Hugo Boss.

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In a statement, Puma chief executive officer Arne Freundt praised Neubrand’s strong background in operational and financial planning as well as in capital markets.

“With his strong knowledge of the industry and people-first approach, Markus is a great fit for the Puma family and I am excited to start working with him to write our next chapter of sustainable growth based on brand elevation,” said Freundt said. “I would like to thank Hubert for all of his achievements at Puma. With his great commitment and dedication to the brand and Puma family, he has contributed to our success over the past 20 years. I wish him all the best for his professional and personal future.”

In the second quarter, sales at Puma were down 0.2 percent to 2.12 billion euros as consumers tightened their belts. When adjusted for currency effects, sales were 2.1 percent up. Despite a slow start to the year, this meant Puma racked up 4.22 billion in sales in the first half, an increase of 1.3 percent in currency-adjusted terms.

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