History has informed much of what Puma does today. The same could be said for longtime executive Maria Valdes.

The 12-year veteran of the German athletic giant, who was promoted to chief product officer in December 2022, is using her past to shape the next phase of her professional journey. “The places you work, you always take something with you,” she said.

While at L’Oréal, where she held marketing roles, Valdes discovered a love for product creation. And during her stint at Zara, where she was the product manager for kids’ footwear and accessories for the Asian market, Valdes learned how to move fast, be consumer-centric and understand how the world’s cultural differences impact a retail calendar.

Aside from her professional journey, her personal path has also influenced her attitude toward leadership. Valdes moved from Chile to Europe at 21, which is when she realized the importance of dreaming big.

“Sport can change people’s lives,” she said. “I believe Puma is a company that respects you and gives you the ability to create impact at the world level. My core happiness comes from waking up every day and asking myself, ‘Do I want to work for Puma?’ And my answer is yes.”

Just eight months into her new role, Valdes is forging ahead with a plan to sharpen Puma’s focus.

She’s targeting four areas that Puma has identified for growth. Its women’s business, for example, is an area that the company will continue to push and improve. And Valdes said sports culture — specifically soccer, basketball and motorsport — offers Puma exciting opportunities.

The brand will also continue to promote Nitro, its critically acclaimed cushioning platform that was introduced in February 2021 when Puma reentered the running category. Valdes said Puma’s showroom is stocked with new Nitro-infused products she believes are sure to impress consumers, and the brand is planning a “massive push” behind the innovation with the Olympics approaching.

Perhaps the most important area of focus from a footwear perspective is Puma’s classics business. “We have 75 years of history. Not many brands can say that,” Valdes said.

In particular, Puma will continue to link the Suede to cultural moments. For example, Valdes said the brand plans to tie the shoe to break dancing — which it has long been associated with via hip-hop — as the sport makes its Olympic debut next year. What’s more, she said, Puma will use the silhouette to connect with current trends, including colors and materials, as well as construction adaptations for the modern consumer, such as platforms.

Also, the Clyde — which turned 50 this year — has presented a wealth of storytelling opportunities. “Instead of just talking about the Clyde turning 50, we decided to celebrate it through local communities. We went to New York, Paris, London, we went to curators in these cities to tell iconic stories of what made it so relevant,” she said.

This locally specific approach is emblematic of how Valdes and her team approach collection conception. Today, there are five creation centers that inform its local approaches, located in Tokyo; Shanghai; Bangalore, India; Herzogenaurach, Germany; and Boston. Valdes confirmed another is coming.

“When you’re embedded in cultures, it gives you the ability to recognize trends, behaviors and opportunities in a different way. When we are working on the longer lifecycle, we start with a global purpose in mind, and then the closer we get [to launch], we get closer to the local entity,” Valdes said.

Puma also is looking to become more innovative — and communicative — when it comes to sustainability.

“We see [eco issues] in every area of the company. We have evolved in a way that you can ask every team member about sustainability,” she explained.

As it relates to product, Puma considers 68 percent of its footwear, apparel and accessories to be sustainable, and the goal is to have 90 percent by 2025.

“It impacts every step in the product creation process. It’s completely embedded,” Valdes said. “That affects labeling and packaging, communications, every part of our product chains. It changes the mindset. You have to have sustainability within the organization. It’s not just a target that you hit.”

Beyond footwear, Valdes is intent on bolstering Puma’s apparel business.

“Our roots are in shoes. We have continued to be a footwear-driven company, so I’m not surprised our positive results have been recognized more on the footwear side,” Valdes said. “Nevertheless, our apparel business has been positive. With apparel, we can express what Puma stands for in a more evident way than just through the lens of sneakers. When it comes to a broader consumer, apparel speaks a lot about your brand.”

Valdes noted that Puma’s rich history in apparel is sometimes overlooked. “Today, the T7 [tracksuit] is probably the only icon we have, but we have a much broader portfolio we could leverage. This motivates me to challenge ourselves as a team,” she said.