Bas van den Bemt has taken over as managing director of central Europe for sportswear company Puma, following Nina Graf-Vlachy’s departure to take a role at Zalando.
Starting on 1st July, Van den Bemt will be in charge of Puma’s activities in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux), as well as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH).
Since 2009, he has worked for Puma in a variety of sales and management roles. He most recently served as the managing director of Puma UK and Ireland. He has also overseen the Benelux company for eight years.
With almost twenty years of experience in the sports sector, Lucynda Davies will take up Van den Bemt’s position as regional manager for the UK and Ireland. She leaves JD Sports, where she was the chief connection officer for brands. Javier Ortega, managing director of Europe, will receive reports from both.
Commenting on the appointments, Ortega said in a statement: “As the managing director of the UK and Ireland and head of Puma Benelux, Bas has done a great job of finding innovative ways to elevate the Puma brand, working closely with our wholesale partners and connecting with our consumers.
“I’m also excited to welcome Lucynda, who, given her vast industry experience, is the ideal candidate to lead our UK and Ireland business. At the same time, I would like to thank Nina for her energy, dedication and commitment over the past ten years and I wish her all the best for her future.”
