Puma appoints former Nike manager Marcia Dos Santos to head core division

German sportswear provider Puma SE has filled another key position. On Monday, the company announced the appointment of Marcia Dos Santos as vice president BU Core. This follows a structural reform where Puma introduced separate teams for its Sportstyle and Core Business Units (BU). The Sportstyle division has been led by Laurent Fricker since the beginning of June.

Dos Santos will take up her newly created position on July 15, according to a statement. She will report directly to chief brand officer Maria Valdes, as will Fricker. Her new employer states that she has “more than 20 years of experience in the sports industry”. Most recently, she worked for US industry giant Nike as vice president merchandising women’s EMEA.

Maria Valdes explained the reasons for the appointment. “Throughout her career, Marcia has achieved strong business results across various regions and product categories, demonstrating her outstanding skills in go-to-market and merchandising,” she explained in a statement. “With her profound industry experience, impressive track record in sales and ability to build successful teams, she is the right person to further advance Core, a central pillar of our business.”