Puma has appointed former Adidas executive James Carnes to the newly created role of senior vice president of creative direction as it looks to sharpen its brand identity and support its wider growth ambitions.

Reporting to chief brand officer Maria Valdes, Carnes will take responsibility for creative direction, innovation and product excellence across the business.

His brief includes aligning Puma’s creative output with its broader strategic goals, setting the seasonal direction for its business units and shaping the brand’s long-term look and feel across consumer touchpoints.

Carnes brings extensive industry experience to the role, having held a number of senior leadership positions at Adidas until 2021 across design, creative direction and strategy.

During his time at the sportswear giant, he worked in both Herzogenaurach, Germany, and Portland, US. More recently, he has worked as an independent consultant and investor across the wider sector.

Valdes said: “James is a very highly regarded leader in our industry and he has been instrumental in shaping some of the most influential performance and lifestyle products, labels, and platforms.

“With a strong background in industrial design and a deep understanding of both athletes and consumers, he will play an important role in getting our customers and consumers excited about Puma once again.”

Carnes said the business had a major opportunity to refresh the brand’s image.

“We have the amazing opportunity to modernise the image and style of one of the most iconic sports brands in the world and I look forward to leading our teams and collaborating with my colleagues to make this happen,” he said.

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