Jochen Zeitz
Jochen Zeitz ( born April 6, 1963 in Mannheim ) is a German manager and chairman of the Board of PUMA SE. In October 2012 it was announced that he gives up this office 30 November 2012; He plans to spend significantly more time for its sustainability initiatives.
Career
After graduating from the Mannheim Karl- Friedrich-Gymnasium Zeitz studied two semesters medicine in Florence. He then participated in the 1982 study of business administration at EBS Business School in Oestrich angle. He had spent abroad at the University of Phoenix (Phoenix (USA )), and in Paris. He finished his studies in 1987 with a focus on marketing and finance and began his professional career with the cosmetics company Colgate -Palmolive in New York City and Hamburg.
In 1988, Zeitz moved to Puma AG, where he was initially responsible for the planning and implementation of marketing strategies in the field Footwear. From 1991, he held the position as "Vice - President of International Marketing and Sales " for the company's positioning in the international market. He was appointed CEO in 1993. He was 30 years, the youngest CEO of a listed German company. Half a year later, the company was in the black again. Zeitz led Puma in the following years from the crisis and transformed the once ailing sportswear manufacturer in a successful international sport and lifestyle company. In July 2011, Zeitz was from the post of Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) to Franz Koch and moved to the post of Chairman of the Board of Puma AG.
He is a connoisseur and admirer of the African continent and the African culture and speaks six foreign languages, including Swahili. In Kenya, he operates a farm.
Among other awards, Zeitz received in 2004, 2005 and 2006, awarded by the Financial Times Germany honoring " Strategist of the Year ". 2004 awarded him the President by the Bavarian Minister of the Interior, the Order of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
As the first European top managers Zeitz was appointed in August 2007 to the eleven Board of Directors of Harley -Davidson Inc.. In September 2007, about two months after the takeover of Puma by the French holding company PPR, Zeitz was appointed to the Executive Committee and as a non- voting member of the Board of Directors of PPR. In October 2007, Zeitz ' contract was extended as CEO of Puma AG early for five years until 2012. Zeitz ' Board remuneration amounted in 2007 to 7.2 million euros.
2008 Zeitz introduced a corporate mission statement ( "Cougar Vision" ) at Puma. Based on four defined corporate values (" 4Keys " ), the company has set itself the target to act in all matters always fair, honest, positive and creative. As part of Puma Vision, the company supports several initiatives to implement clean, greener, more secure and more sustainable concepts and projects. In April 2010, Zeitz introduced a long-term sustainability program at Puma, under which the company wants the enterprise, energy, water and waste savings by 2015 25 % of CO2.
In 2008 he founded the " Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety". The Foundation supports innovative projects that bring environmental protection, social development, culture and trade in accordance with the common goal of promoting intercultural dialogue. In October 2009, Zeitz has been awarded the title of "Honorable Warden of the Kenya Wildlife Service ."
Together with the Benedictine monk Anselm Grün he wrote the book published in 2010 God, money and belief in the Zeitz the economy inviting participation in a greater ecological thinking and sustainable business propagated.
Since October 2010, Zeitz is responsible for sustainability in the French parent company PPR Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO ). For the Puma AG, he took the German Sustainability Award 2010 in the category " Most Sustainable future strategy " against. In 2010 he received the State Medal for outstanding services to the Bavarian economy.
In 2010, Zeitz was the top earner of the German CEO with a salary of 9.8 million euros.