Puma CEO Koch to step down in March 2013

Germany-based sports lifestyle company Puma SE has

announced that Franz Koch will step down as CEO of Puma and member of the Group Executive Committee of PPR SA, the main shareholder of Puma SE, at the end of March 2013.

Also Jochen Zeitz has resigned as Administrative Board Chairman as of December 1, 2012. Until the end of March, Franz Koch will work in close collaboration with the new Chairman of the Administrative Board, Jean-François Palus, also PPR Group Managing Director, in order to secure Puma’s on-going operational transformation and generate profitable growth.

Jean-François Palus stated, “Together with Jochen Zeitz, Franz Koch has been the driver of strategic key initiatives and has strongly contributed to Puma’s development over the past few years. Going forward with the future CEO, who we aim to hire by spring 2013, we will pursue the reorganization of the company, focus on product innovation and marketing, and will continue to devote the necessary resources to the development of the brand.”