Puma's women's-and-lifestyle bet lifted 2016 EBIT by 33% under Björn Gulden.

Puma entered 2013 with earnings sliding; it warned that net profit would come in far below the €70 million of 2012. Parent company PPR (now Kering) appointed Björn Gulden as CEO, effective July 1, 2013, and he set out to return Puma to its sporting roots while opening a women's lifestyle line.

Gulden's strategy paired sports authenticity with fashion: FENTY PUMA by Rihanna, the 'DO YOU' women's platform with Cara Delevingne, renewed football and running lines, and a push to improve distribution quality with key retailers such as Foot Locker.

By 2016 the combination was working. Full-year sales rose 10.2% currency-adjusted to €3,626.7 million, EBIT grew 32.6% to €127.6 million, and net profit jumped 68% to €62.4 million — slightly above the guidance Puma had given a quarter earlier.

Gulden said the year confirmed the strategy was right. The brand gained share in most geographies and channels, and Puma's own retail and e-commerce grew on stronger sell-through rather than discounting.

FY2016 sales rose 10.2% currency-adjusted to €3,626.7M; EBIT grew 32.6% to €127.6M and net profit jumped 68% to €62.4M, led by women's and lifestyle.

One CEO with a clear consumer thesis replaced years of scattered marketing.

Women's and lifestyle opened a category where Puma could win against bigger rivals.

Ambassadors like Rihanna and Bolt created brand heat without discounting.

Retail partners saw sell-through improve, so they reordered and expanded space.

A brand turnaround needs one leader with a clear thesis: pick segments where the brand can win, build product and heat around them, and let retail sell-through — not advertising — prove the recovery.

Puma carried the momentum into 2017, guiding to high single-digit currency-adjusted sales growth and EBIT of €170–190 million, a step up from 2016. The brand kept compounding through the decade, and the Gulden playbook — sports credibility plus lifestyle heat, measured by sell-through — stayed at the center of Puma's strategy.