Fricker, a 20-year adidas and Reebok veteran, takes charge of a unit built on heritage product – just as PUMA’s Sportstyle ambitions grow more competitive. He starts June 1, 2026.
PUMA has appointed Laurent Fricker as Vice President of its Business Unit (BU) Sportstyle, with the role taking effect June 1, 2026. Fricker will report directly to Maria Valdes, Chief Brand Officer at PUMA.
Fricker built his career managing one of adidas’s most commercially successful heritage portfolios
Fricker spent more than two decades at adidas and Reebok in senior positions across product marketing and sales. His most recent role was VP Originals, Basketball and Partnerships Europe at adidas, where he led the launch and development of multiple product lines in a category that competes directly with PUMA Sportstyle.
PUMA’s Sportstyle unit treats the brand’s 78-year archive as its primary competitive asset
The BU Sportstyle develops footwear and apparel rooted in the brand’s sporting history, with products at the intersection of sport and contemporary culture. Its anchor models include the Suede and the Speedcat – two archive silhouettes that have found consistent traction beyond traditional sporting goods channels in recent years.
The hire puts Originals expertise at the center of one of sportswear’s most competitive heritage categories
PUMA Sportstyle operates in a crowded segment. adidas Originals, Nike Sportswear and New Balance’s heritage lines are all competing for consumers who buy footwear and apparel at the crossroads of sport history and current culture. Fricker’s experience at adidas Originals – where he managed one of the most commercially developed heritage portfolios in the industry – gives him direct working knowledge of how that competition plays out at the product and distribution level.
