Puma selects Calvin Klein veteran Tommy Hilfiger as vice president of DTC

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Brief description of the dive:

Puma has appointed a new vice president of direct sales, according to Wednesday’s press release. According to the company, Erik Janshen has over a decade of experience in digital and DTC sales.
Janshen, most recently senior vice president of digital sales at Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, will lead the brand’s global DTC sales, which includes stores, e-commerce and “several online marketplaces.”
Janshen replaces Karthik Balagopalan, who previously headed the company and has been supervising DTC on an interim basis since August last year, when he was promoted to managing director of Puma India.

Diving Insight:

Puma has named a new leader for its DTC business as the sportswear brand looks to improve the quality of its distribution channels and better connect with shoppers. In the first quarter, Puma reported double-digit growth in DTC value with fewer discounts in the channel to €494 million (about $530 million at current rates).

“We are incredibly happy to have Erik join the PUMAF family and I am confident that his leadership will lead us to achieve our ambitious goals of elevating the quality of our DTC consumer experiences to further warm up the brand,” Puma CEO Arne said in a statement Freundt. “His innovative approach and passion for consumer-centric strategies will undoubtedly be an asset to our DTC business.”

The appointment comes amid a larger leadership shake-up at the brand that began in November 2022 when former CEO Bjørn Gulden left Puma to take the top job at Adidas, forcing then-commercial director Freundt to take the helm at Puma. About six months later, Puma restructured its marketing organization and moved it to Germany, prompting the resignation of the company’s global brand chief.

The purpose of this move was to bring Puma’s marketing team closer to its creative, go-to-market and global business departments, as well as to give the North America team more control over marketing in the region. To this end, Puma this year announced that it will open a design and marketing space in Los Angeles in 2025 to be “closer to the most influential communities and celebrities” and gain market share in the US

The company launched its first global brand campaign in a decade in April, emphasizing sporting achievements ahead of the Summer Olympics. Puma also announced the return of its Fenty x Puma partnership with Rihanna in September, with the artist serving as creative director of the initiative.

Last year, the brand also named a senior director of global brand strategy and hired an Adidas veteran to lead its North American wholesale operations.