Sports company Puma appoints Maria Valdes, aged 38 to the executive board as chief product officer, starting January 1, 2023.

Valdes is Puma's current general manager of sportstyle, the company's largest business division. In her new role she will be responsible for a number of divisions including sportstyle, motorsports, teamsports, running/training, basketball and accessories. She will also oversee the creative direction of the brand and the company's go-to-market strategy.

“As general manager of our Sportstyle business unit, Maria has demonstrated a strong product expertise, a great service attitude towards our retail partners and a deep knowledge of our target consumer”, said Arne Freundt, chief executive officer at Puma. “I am convinced that her positive energy and relentless pursuit in pushing things forward make her the ideal candidate for this new role.”

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Maria joined the sporting goods company in 2010 as senior head of product line management footwear, before becoming general manager sportstyle in 2019. Previously, she worked at L'Oréal and Inditex in marketing and product management.

As of January 1, 2023, the Puma's executive board will consist of four members including CEO Arne Freundt, chief financial officer Hubert Hinterseher and chief sourcing officer Anne-Laure Descours.