Puma's Leader, Bjorn Gulden, announced his departure.
Pumped Up Kicks: Björn Gulden Leavin' Puma for Adidas
Listen up, sports fans! Björn Gulden, the 57-year-old CEO of sportswear titan Puma, is bouncin' outta there at year's end. In a shockin' announcement today, Gulden revealed he ain't renewin' his contract, and Arne Freundt (42) will be takin' the reins as the new CEO of the Herzogenaurach-based brand on Jan 1. Freundt's been with Puma since last year, joinin' the team as chief sales officer.
Now, the question everyone's askin': Is former Puma CEO Gulden headed to the rival competition? Well, according to the news, Gulden's been mum on the topic of potentially succeedin' Kasper Rorsted (60) at Adidas. But when asked, ol' Björn just smiled and said, "No offer yet." But on Friday, he spilled a bit more, sharin', "I still got a lotta energy for an operational role for the next five to ten years, but that woulda been too long for Puma."
Insider chatter, though, has the rumor mill buzzin' that Gulden's got his eye on Adidas. Stick around, and we'll keep you posted on any developments.
Straight from the Source:Yeah, you heard right – Björn Gulden's currently wearin' the CEO cap over at Adidas. While the searches ain't got the nitty-gritty on his time at Puma, industry heads confirm he led the pack over there from 2013 to 2022 before joinin' Adidas in January 2023. The latest reports from April 2025 show Gulden takin' lead on US tariff issues for Adidas and deliverin' a whopping 13% currency-neutral sales growth in Q1 2025[1][2][5].
Big Facts:- Current Role: CEO of Adidas (2023–present), as confirmed by his recent talk on earnings calls and tariff-related statements[1][4][5].- Past Gig: CEO of Puma (2013–2022), though this timeline isn't covered by the sources provided.- Recent Biz: Under Gulden's watch, Adidas saw a 13% currency-neutral sales growth in Q1 2025 and is dealin' with potential US price bumps due to tariffs[2][5].
- Björn Gulden, the former CEO of Puma, is now the CEO of Adidas, as confirmed in his recent earnings calls and tariff-related statements.
- Gulden had previously been at the helm of Puma from 2013 to 2022, though the exact timeline isn't detailed in the provided sources.
- In April 2025, under Gulden's leadership, Adidas reported a 13% currency-neutral sales growth in Q1 2025.
- Gulden is also dealing with potential US price bumps due to tariffs, as Adidas continues to do business in the sports industry.
