Puma appoints Javier Ortega as general manager Europe
DPA
Cassidy STEPHENS
Sports company Puma
Ortega, who has been with Puma since 2009 and most recently served as area general manager for Southern Europe, succeeds Richard Teyssier, who took on the role of global brand and marketing director in July.
“During his time as area general manager in Southern Europe, Javier has done a great job strengthening the PUMA brand and driving our growth in Southern Europe,” said Puma CEO Arne Freundt. “In his new role as general manager Europe, Javier will build on the strong momentum of the region, strengthen our position as the best partner for our wholesalers and coordinate the go-to-market process.”
Esteve Planas, aged 47, will succeed Ortega as area general manager Southern Europe. He held various positions in Puma’s finance department between 2010 and 2022, including CFO of Puma Spain and Puma Iberia. In these roles, he helped shape the company’s successful growth strategy in Southern Europe. He is returning to the sporting goods manufacturer after being CFO of Spanish pharmaceutical company Galenicum since early 2023.
Most recently, Puma reaffirmed its outlook for the current year after strong sales growth in the second quarter. The company expects sales growth in the high single-digit percentage range in constant currency. For the operating result (Ebit), management is targeting a range of 590 million to 670 million euros for 2023.
