Cecchini’s arrival fills the post vacated by Adamsson and extends a leadership rebuild that has already touched finance, e-commerce, wholesale and creative direction since Hoeld’s turnaround began, underlining how central sports marketing is to PUMA’s recovery plan.
PUMA has appointed Steve Cecchini as senior vice president of sports marketing, effective Oct. 1, handing the newly arrived Nike executive responsibility for the athlete, team and federation partnerships that underpin PUMA’s sports marketing activities. Cecchini will report directly to PUMA chief executive Arthur Hoeld.
The appointment follows the departure of sports marketing VP Johan Adamsson, who left PUMA in August after more than 25 years. The hire reinforces the importance PUMA is placing on sports marketing as it works through a broader turnaround under Hoeld. The company has continued to invest in partnerships across football, motorsport and HYROX while reshaping its leadership team.
A Nike football career now serving PUMA
Cecchini joins from Nike, where he most recently served as general manager for global football clubs, federations, leagues and partnerships, overseeing long-term partnership management and product, marketing and marketplace strategy. He previously held strategy and business development roles at both Nike and PVH Corp.
The appointment is the latest in a series of leadership changes under Hoeld. Recent moves include the appointment of Mark Langer as chief financial officer, the hiring of Dusan Hamlin to lead global e-commerce and the creation of several senior commercial and creative roles. Together, the changes underline PUMA’s effort to rebuild key functions while executing its turnaround strategy: PUMA’s stated goal is to become a top three global sports brand.
