Puma promotes European chief

Sportswear company Puma has promoted its European marketing director, Paul Gautier, to the new position of global head of marketing.

The move is part of a global management restructure at Puma, which has also resulted in international marketing director Tony Bertone being promoted to global brand director. Gautier, who will report to Bertone, has been replaced by Puma’s marketing manager for France, Jean François Jean.

Puma UK marketing director Andy Rigg recently announced his departure to Ben Sherman, as global marketing director (MW last week).

Rigg replaces Gary Mylum who recently left the clothes manufacturing company. Rigg has yet to be replaced at Puma.

Gautier says: “As a business we are expanding and this [restructure] will allow us to focus more on the brand. Also we are highly successful at the moment and the restructure should facilitate this.”

The brand is to sponsor the England athletic squad at this year’s Commonwealth Games. It has entered a £1m-plus contract to provide Team England’s sportswear for the games, to be held in Manchester this summer. At the last games, held in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, the team’s kit was provided by rival brand Nike (MW January 10).