Puma names Shirley Li general manager of China business

Sportswear giant Puma has announced the appointment of Shirley Li as general manager of its China business, as it looks to strengthen its presence in the market.

Li initially joined Puma in early 2023, taking on the position of commercial director and bringing 20 years of industry experience to the role.

Prior to Puma, Li served as vice president, wholesale at competitor Adidas.

She succeeds Philippe Bocquillon, who will be transferring to the role of Puma’s area manager for Greater China, which the company stated included China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

He will also hold the position of general manager Hong Kong, while Paul Yu will continue as general manager of Taiwan.

In a release, Arne Freundt, Puma’s CEO, said: “I am very excited that we will open a new chapter for Puma China under the new leadership of Shirley.

“I am very confident that under her leadership we will rebound strongly in China which is one of our key strategic priorities.

“I want to thank Philippe for more than 10 years as general manager of Puma China. He has done a great job under often very challenging circumstances and I wish him all the best for his new role as area manager.”

Stepping into Li’s former role of commercial director will be David Lu, who has been with Puma since March 2023, having most recently worked as the general manager of retail operations for Levi’s.

All of these changes will come into effect July 1, 2023.