PUMA Bag Nike Vet as New Vice President of Basketball
have signalled their intention to claw deep into the basketball arena with the appointment of Archie McEachern, formerly of and , as their new vice president of basketball. The strategic hire indicates the German giant's commitment to hoops – and their signed stars , , , and – with McEachern confirmed to set up shop at PUMA's Boston office. McEachern steps into the role previously held by Max Staiger, who departed earlier this year to captain basketball division.
The news arrives less than a week after another significant leadership change at PUMA; the brand announced their new chief operating officer, former adidas executive Andreas Hubert, a matter of days ago. Both new hires come just weeks after PUMA released preliminary second-quarter results which sat well below expectations.
McEachern will report directly to Maria Valdes, the Big Cat's chief product officer. In a statement, Valdes expressed her hype for this second new appointment: 'With Archie, we’ve brought on a seasoned expert who understands both product and the culture of our consumer,' she said. 'Basketball has always been a part of PUMA’s DNA, and as the game continues to grow globally, we’re confident that Archie will help elevate our legacy and expand our impact on and off the court.'
Prior to his new move, McEachern held the role of vice president and chief merchandising officer with Yellow Boot masterminds Timberland, a position he'd been in since May 2023. However his experience chiefly comes via nearly three decades at Nike, whose offices he joined in 1992. His career there saw an ascent through various footwear-centric positions including general manager of basketball in the Asia Pacific, senior merchandising director of basketball in North America, and vice president of merchandising in Japan. McEachern concluded his impressive run at Nike in 2020, as vice president of category merchandising for Greater China.
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