Puma appointed Laurent Fricker as VP of the Sportstyle business unit, starting June 1. Most recently, he was vice president of Originals, Basketball and Partnerships Europe at Adidas.
Fricker has been with Adidas or Reebok for nearly 20 years. He initially joined Adidas in 2006 as a field sales rep in the Aix-en-Provence region of France and held various sales roles before joining Adidas’ Reebok team as senior director, Footwear, Reebok Europe, in December 2019, and then becoming senior director, Product, Reebok Europe, in January 2021.
He stayed with Reebok following the sale to Authentic Brands Group in March 2022 in the role of VP, Reebok Europe. He returned to Adidas in November 2023 as VP, Outdoor Europe, and was promoted to his most recent position in June 2024. As VP, Originals, Basketball and Partnerships Europe at Adidas, he was responsible for introducing and expanding several successful product franchises, according to Puma.
He will report directly to Maria Valdes, Puma’s chief brand officer (CBO).
“Laurent is a focused leader with a clear track record of connecting sport authenticity with on-trend credibility and strong cross-functional execution,” said Valdes. “With his deep understanding of consumer culture, product storytelling, 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.”
Puma said its Sportstyle business leverages the brand’s “vast archive to create products that celebrate the legacy of sport and connect to the passion of sport culture.” The archives include iconic models such as Suede and Speedcat.
“With Puma’s 78 years of history and many product icons that can inspire our designers, heading the Sportstyle unit is a fantastic opportunity,” said Fricker. “We have the clear potential to further sharpen our product offering and create products that become culturally relevant to our consumers.”
Image courtesy Puma
