Herzogenaurach, October 7, 2025 – Sports company PUMA has appointed Thomas John (59) as its new Vice President People and Organization, overseeing PUMA’s human resources strategy and organizational development. He will start his role on October 16 and report directly to PUMA CEO Arthur Hoeld.

Thomas brings nearly three decades of experience in human resources, having worked in leadership positions across several industries, including sporting goods, aviation, automotive and energy solutions. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President Global Human Resources at Landis+Gyr, a global provider of energy management and smart metering solutions, where he led large-scale transformation initiatives and drove the execution of the HR strategy across more than 30 countries.

Before joining Landis+Gyr, Thomas held various senior HR leadership roles at companies such as KLM, adidas and Mann+Hummel. His career has been defined by a strong focus on aligning people strategy with business performance, with a special emphasis on leadership, organizational development, talent management, driving change and transformation, and fostering inclusive, high-performance work environments.

“Thomas offers a wealth of experience when it comes to human resources strategy, organizational development and leadership and is deeply familiar with the challenges and opportunities of our industry,” said PUMA CEO Arthur Hoeld. “I am confident that his strong background in organizational transformation and global HR management will help us take PUMA’s operational excellence to the next level.”

Thomas replaces Dietmar Knoess, who decided to pursue new interests outside of the company.

Media Contact: Kerstin Neuber – PUMA Corporate Communications – kerstin.neuber@puma.com
 

PUMA

PUMA is one of the world’s leading sports brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For more than 75 years, PUMA has relentlessly pushed sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world’s fastest athletes. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Basketball, Golf, and Motorsports. It collaborates with renowned designers and brands to bring sport influences into street culture and fashion. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs about 20,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany.