German sportswear retailer Puma SE on Wednesday announced the appointment of Ramprasad Sridharan as Managing Director of Puma India. The 47-year-old will take up his new position in December and will report directly to Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Matthias Bäumer, the company said. Sridharan succeeds Karthik Balagopalan, who announced his departure at the end of October.
According to Puma, Sridharan has “25 years of experience building brands across Asia Pacific.” Most recently, as CEO and Managing Director of United Colors of Benetton India, he led the company’s comprehensive transformation. Before that, he worked for Clarks and Reebok India, among others.
CCO Bäumer explained the personnel decision: “Ram is a highly experienced manager with an impressive track record in the fashion and footwear industries. He brings extensive retail expertise to Puma that will strengthen our business and promote India as one of our most important markets,” he said in a statement. “I am confident that his strong background will help accelerate Puma India’s growth and play a critical role in translating our global strategic priorities into regional success.