German sportswear giant Puma has announced the appointment of Tara McRae to the role of president of its North America arm.
McRae rejoined Puma in August 2024 as the senior vice president for marketing and brand strategy, having previously worked at Puma North America between 2006 and 2016 as the regional head of marketing.
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She replaces Bob Philion, a 20-year Puma veteran with eight years as North America president, who leaves to pursue other opportunities.
Puma chief commercial officer Matthias Baumer commented: “With Tara, we have appointed a leader with a great understanding of our consumers, our industry, and the North American market.
“I strongly believe she has the experience and the strategic mindset to help us succeed in this crucial market.”
Baumer himself was only appointed to that role earlier this month, amid a turbulent time at the firm that also, crucially, has seen Arthur Hoeld step in as chief executive and chair of its management board, with the outgoing Arne Freundt leaving due to “differing views on strategy execution.”
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By GlobalDataMcRae joins ass president amid the firestorm fallout of the trade war engaged in by US president Donald Trump, which included a 46% tariff on imports from Vietnam, where Puma manufactures much of its goods.
Puma shares dropped as much as 11% following the announcement of the tariffs, but GlobalData Sport data researcher Will Padmore suggests that the brand may yet be more insulated from the effects than its major rivals, Nike and Adidas.
He said: “Unlike their main rivals, Nike (NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA and NWSL) and Adidas (MLS), Puma do not have any major league kit supplier deals and therefore they will not be locked into contracts that will become increasingly hard to monetize effectively.
“Instead of costly kit supply deals, Puma’s approach in North America has focused on athlete endorsements. Basketball players LaMelo Ball and Breanna Stewart, and soccer player Christian Pulisic are just some of the athletes under contract with Puma.
“Puma remains active in the international soccer team kit supply market with several teams under contract including Portugal, Egypt, and Morocco.
“With the 2026 World Cup set to be held mostly in the USA, though, Puma will be concerned with the potential impact tariffs will have on kit sales in the host country, although sales in the team’s home markets will possibly remain unaffected.
“While Puma may have more market agility than their biggest rivals, their American exposure is still significant. Puma’s 2024 annual report revealed that the Americas made up 40.1% of their global sales, with North America reporting growth in the low single digits.
“An extended period of tariffs would surely impact Puma’s turnover should the American market see increased costs.”
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