Puma appoints Thomas John as head of people and organisation

German sportswear provider Puma SE has filled a key position. On Tuesday, the company announced the appointment of Thomas John as vice president of people and organisation. He succeeds Dietmar Knoess, who has decided to “take on new challenges outside the company,” Puma stated.

John will assume his new post on October 16. In his future role, the 59-year-old will be responsible for Puma's people strategy and organisational development, reporting directly to CEO Arthur Hoeld, the company explained.

According to his future employer, John has “almost three decades of experience in human resources.” Throughout his career, he has held management positions at companies in various industries. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of global human resources at energy management specialist Landis+Gyr. He has previously worked for notable companies such as KLM, Adidas and Mann+Hummel.

Puma CEO Hoeld explained the personnel decision in a statement. “Thomas has a great deal of experience in people strategy, organisational development and leadership and is very familiar with the challenges and opportunities of our industry,” he said. “I am confident that his profound expertise in both organisations undergoing change and global human resources management will help us take Puma's operational performance to the next level.”