CEO Interviews

Jochen Zeitz Executive Chairman PUMA.

"We need to move out of the era of business that causes collateral damage to business that causes collateral benefits."

In 1993, at the age of 30, Zeitz was appointed Chairman and CEO of the German Sportlifestyle company, PUMA, becoming the youngest Chairman in German history to head a public company. Zeitz turned around the financial performance of the company, which was nearing bankruptcy when he began as Chairman and CEO, with PUMA's share price gaining around 4000 percent in 13 years. Zeitz is currently CEO of the Sport & Lifestyle division of PPR, PUMA's parent company, which also owns brands such as Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Yves Saint Laurent and in 2010 was also appointed Chief Sustainability Officer of PPR. Zeitz conceived and spearheaded the world's first Environmental Profit and Loss Account (E P&L) and announced PUMA's results in 2011. The company calculated the monetary value of its environmental impact for the key areas of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), water use, land use, air pollution and waste. PPR is now embarking on a Group E P&L for all of its Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle brands.

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