Puma Brings Back Veteran Marketing Leader Tara McRae to Drive North American Growth

An industry veteran who spent 10 years at Puma has returned to the brand. Tara McRae, who held several marketing roles with the athletic powerhouse from 2006 to 2016, has assumed the role of senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy for Puma North America, effective Aug. 30. She is also a member of the Puma North America senior leadership team.

“Puma is a deep love of mine. It was well before I worked for the brand when I was a kid, it was while I worked at the brand, and it has never left me — even being away for eight years,” McRae told FN.

McRae spent the last four years at Clarks Originals, most recently serving as its global chief marketing officer and digital officer. Also in her career, she was the first chief marketing officer at NFL icon Tom Brady’s health and wellness brand TB12.

McRae said she had been enamored with several aspects of Puma’s business from afar. Specifically, the exec — an admitted Boston Celtics and WNBA fan — called out the impact that Puma Hoops has had on basketball, as well as the success of Puma Running (which she said has produced some of the brand’s best products ever) and Sportstyle (in particular, the reintroduction of Speedcat and Mostro).

“There’s no better time, in my opinion, for me to come back to the sports side [of the industry],” McRae said.

The Next Chapter of Growth for Puma North America

McRae will report to Puma North America president Bob Philion. McRae’s professional relationship with Philion began when Puma ramped up its efforts in golf, including the signing of Rickie Fowler in 2009 and the acquisition of Cobra Golf in 2010. (Philion served as president and chief executive officer of Cobra Puma Golf before becoming president of Puma North America.)

“We never lost touch,” McRae said. “We’ve always had a really good relationship. I get along with him really well, I respect him a lot and I’m excited to work with him again. The region has grown dramatically, it’s a big region and it’s an exciting business.”

In her new role, McRae will be responsible for leading and providing strategic guidance across its North American brand and marketing strategy, which includes both driving profitable growth and enhancing brand equity.

She will be tasked with developing and executing longer-term consumer centric brand and marketing strategies and plans for the North American market across all channels. The company said she will work with its global brand strategy team, and will have an additional focus on entertainment and basketball marketing “given their importance and growing influence in North America.”

Leveraging Experience and Expertise

During her first stint at Puma, McRae was part of the brand’s North America regional marketing team, and worked within its media planning and sports marketing departments before taking on additional marketing responsibilities.

“I’ve grown dramatically. Eight-and-a-half years is a lot of time, personally and professionally. I look at pictures of my kids in Puma Suedes when they were babies and now they’re grown,” McRae said with a laugh. “I stepped outside of the brand to work at Clarks, to work at TB12. One was in startup mode and Clark’s is a global brand on the other side of footwear. And I’ve had different roles — commercial roles, brand roles. I’ve also consulted for brands, I’ve worked at nonprofits. I’m such a sponge, I learn from every experience.

When asked about her goals for year one, McRae said they include both elevating the brand, which is especially important with more competitors now than ever before, and maximizing Puma’s strengths.

“For me, it’s about maximizing the trends that are out there, the ambassadors. And the retail partners are so important. I plan on digging in deep with our partners in the first year and making sure we’ve got the right game plan with all of them,” McRae said. “And then there’s World Cup. It feels like it’s a couple years away, but in our world it’s right around the corner — and then the Olympics. They’re both in the U.S., which was a dream of mine, to work at the brand and have them happen in the U.S. So it’s about getting the plans together and the team together and have them rally around it.”

A Return to Puma and a Focus on Growth

McRae’s return to Puma comes at a critical time for the brand. Puma has been making significant strides in the North American market, with strong growth in its basketball and running categories. However, the company is facing increased competition from other brands, including Nike and Adidas.

McRae’s expertise and experience in marketing, brand strategy, and digital will be critical in helping Puma navigate this competitive landscape. Her deep understanding of the North American consumer and her proven track record of success will be instrumental in driving Puma’s next chapter of growth.

Beyond her role at Puma, McRae is also a strategic advisor for Relentless Consumer Partners and a non-executive board member at Kegg.