PUMA chairman set for Q&A session next month

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

JOCHEN Zeitz, chairman of PUMA, will be welcomed to Jamaica as the special guest at a moderated Question and Answer event at The Wyndham, New Kingston, on Friday, March 30, 2012.

Presented by Whisky Productions, attendees will have a chance to hear from a renowned international business leader and one with special ties to Jamaica.

During the evening event, Zeitz will discuss various topics including the longterm relationship between PUMA and Jamaica; the upcoming Olympics where all eyes around the world will be watching Jamaica’s track and field team; and sustainability as a necessary part of business and the pressing environmental issues being faced in the world today. Audiences will also learn about his foundation, the Zeitz Foundation, and its global activities to support creative and innovative sustainable projects and solutions that balance conservation, community development, culture, and commerce (the 4Cs).

“Jamaica is a very special place to me. Year after year I make sure to come for Champs where extremely talented youth compete and future running stars are made,” said Zeitz.

“And of course it is also a good excuse to enjoy the beauty of Jamaica and see old friends I have made over the years.”

Zeitz is currently the CEO of the Sport and Lifestyle Division of PPR, a French multinational holding company of Luxury, Sport and Lifestyle brands, and executive chairman of PUMA SE after serving 18 years as chairman and CEO at PUMA. He was appointed CEO of PUMA at the age of 29, becoming the youngest CEO in German history to head a public company.

His reputation in the international business community was cemented when Zeitz spearheaded the worldwide restructuring of PUMA by implementing a long-term development plan that saw PUMA's share price gain around 4,000 per cent in 13 years, from €8.6 in his first year as CEO to an all-time high of €350. He managed to turn PUMA from a low-priced, undesirable brand with less than €200 million in sales into a desirable, premium €+3 billion company by the end of 2011 and one of the top three brands in the sporting goods industry.

As an individual who believes in contributing to the practical and transparent application to bring business into a new paradigm of corporate, social and environmental sustainability, Zeitz has launched pioneering sustainable business solutions across his businesses. He has received numerous awards during his professional career, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Strategist of the Year for three years in a row by the Financial Times, Trendsetter of the Year and Best of European Business Award 2006.

This speaking engagement is presented by Whisky Productions with the support of National Commercial Bank.