At a Glance

  • Former Hugo Boss CEO Mark Langer will join sportswear brand Puma as Chief Financial Officer and member of the management board on May 1, the company announced in a press release on Thursday.
  • Langer will succeed Markus Neubrand as head of finance, who stepped down on Thursday and will officially leave the footwear and apparel company on September 30, according to the press release.
  • Also on Thursday, the Germany-based company reported its first-quarter 2026 results, which CEO and Chairman Arne Freundt (note: the original text says Arthur Hoeld, but based on context it should be Arne Freundt, the original is retained here) called a "solid start." Hoeld said during Thursday's earnings call: "We have already made significant progress this year in our operating model, which is necessary to lay the foundation for Puma's future growth. Despite macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties, we remain confident in achieving our goals for this year and beyond."

Deep Dive

Hoeld said Thursday that Neubrand played a key role in "working with us to develop the reset plan and transition the company into a transitional mode for the coming years."

Hoeld, who joined the company in July last year, thanked the outgoing finance chief "for his personal support during my onboarding at Puma, and for guiding not only the finance team but the entire organization through what has not been the easiest period for the company."

Neubrand, who became CFO of the sportswear retailer in October 2024, is leaving after nearly two years in the role, according to his LinkedIn profile. A Hugo Boss veteran, Neubrand spent 17 years at the menswear company in various roles, including Chief Operating Officer and, from July 2014, six years as CFO for the Americas.

His tenure overlapped with Langer, who also spent 17 years at Hugo Boss. Langer's resume includes seven years as CFO and four years as CEO and Chairman of the Board, according to his LinkedIn profile. Most recently, he served as CFO at German cosmetics and fragrance company Douglas Group.

The sportswear company will lean on Langer's financial expertise to continue advancing the transformation plan Puma launched last year. In addition to leadership changes—bringing in Adidas veteran Hoeld as CEO and appointing a new Chief Commercial Officer—the company also implemented cost-saving initiatives last year and cut approximately 500 corporate positions globally, according to company press releases.

When Puma reported full-year 2025 results in February, it designated 2026 as a transition year and outlined strategic priorities aimed at right-sizing inventory, driving growth, and regaining investor confidence.

Puma continues to seek cost efficiencies, including job cuts—Hoeld said on the earnings call that the company plans to eliminate an additional 900 positions by the end of 2026. Of those, 450 employees had already left as of the end of the first quarter.

In the first quarter, despite a slight decline in sales, Puma reported adjusted EBIT of €51.9 million (approximately $60 million), up 19.6% year-over-year, according to its financial report. Gross margin rose 60 basis points to 47.7%, and the company also reported lower operating expenses.

Neubrand attributed the 1% year-over-year decline in quarterly sales primarily to Puma's reset efforts, including reducing promotional intensity in stores and on e-commerce sites, he said Thursday. Meanwhile, Puma's ongoing efforts to adjust inventory levels were a key driver of improved margins, he said.

Despite optimism about the positive momentum of the transformation efforts, Neubrand also pointed to ongoing "geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties" that the company considered when issuing guidance for the second half of the year. In response to an analyst's question, he said the Iran war and US tariffs are expected to negatively impact sales, margins, and consumer sentiment.

"There remain many variables for the rest of the year, including revenue growth performance as mentioned earlier, as well as the level of one-time costs, as we will ensure we lay the right foundation in 2026 to return to growth in 2027," he said.