Ex-Puma CEO to make a comeback at Bogner
High-end sports brand Willy Bogner has announced that Arne Freundt as its new chief executive. Mr Freundt, former chief executive of Puma, will take up his new role on June 1.
Arne Freundt will take up the leadership of Bogner following periods of upheaval for him and for the Munich-based brand. Mr Freundt became chief executive of Puma at the start of 2023, following Bjørn Gulden’s departure for adidas.
At the time, Puma said Mr Freundt was “the ideal choice”. He had already been at the company for more than a decade and served as its chief commercial officer. He had been a member of Puma’s management board since June 2021.
However, he only led Puma until April 2025. He and the company mutually agreed his departure following what Puma described as “differing views on strategy execution”.
Around the same time, a change of ownership occurred at Willy Bogner. Consumer goods company Katjes acquired a 60% stake in August 2025, with the founding Bogner family retaining the other 40%.
The chief executive position was vacant at the time of that transaction; Katjes said it wanted to let the new ownership structure settle down before filling it.
Chairman of the Bogner advisory board, Bastian Fassin, said the company was pleased to have attracted “one of Europe’s most experienced experts in the sports and lifestyle sector” to the role.
For his part, Arne Freundt described Bogner as “an iconic brand with a unique alpine heritage, standing for luxury sports and the highest quality”.
