Jochen built the foundations of his career at the European Business School, studying International Marketing and Finance. After a strong education in the subjects, Jochen began his career working for the company Colgate-Palmolive. Jochen then moved to work for Puma in 1990, before he was appointed as CEO and Chairman of Puma in 1993. This appointment sparked interest, as Jochen, aged 30, became the youngest German CEO to lead a public company.
In his role as CEO of Puma, Jochen pioneered great change for the company. When Jochen was first appointed, Puma was experiencing financial difficulty. Tasked with the turnaround of the companies fortune, Jochen set about establishing a worldwide restructuring and development plan. Under his careful watch and guidance, Jochen’s development plan saw the company come back from the brink of bankruptcy and in fact saw their share price gain 4000%. Jochen is now widely regarded as the man who turned Puma from virtually bankrupt to being in the top three sporting brands worldwide. He was also appointed several roles at Kering who purchased Puma, acting as the Chief Sustainability Officer and CEO of the Sport and Lifestyle Division.
Now, Jochen is working as the CEO of Harley Davidson and is also the president and chairman of the company’s sustainability committee. Alongside his work for Harley Davidson, Jochen has also worked on his own projects. Back in 2014, working with Sir Richard Branson, Jochen had the vision to promote social and environmental business practises. In a bid to promote his vision, Jochen founded The B Team with Branson, promoting the importance of incorporating socially and environmentally conscious practices into businesses across the globe.
A philanthropist at heart, Jochen founded the Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety in 2008. Jochen was passionate about providing support to various projects that innovated sustainability and are concerned with conservation, commerce, community development and culture, which he nicknames the ‘4 C’s’. Jochen has also founded The Long Run, emphasising his advocacy for sustainability by driving holistic approaches. Jochen has also co-authored several books, such as Prayer, Profit and Principles- Monk and Manager and The Breakthrough Challenge: 10 Ways to Connect Today’s Profits with Tomorrow’s Bottom Line. He is also the founder of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, which has been recognised as one of the Best Museums in the World by Times Magazine.
Throughout his career, Jochen has been highly praised for his knowledge and commitment. He has been listed in the World’s Top 100 Compassionate Business Leaders by Salt and awarded Strategist of the Year three times by the Financial Times. He has also collected the awards of Entrepreneur of the Year, Best of European Business Award 2006 and the Federal Cross of Merit of Germany. As a speaker, Jochen is sought by high-profile clients to deliver on his incredible business knowledge. From turning a business around from the brink of bankruptcy to ensuring sustainable practises in businesses, there is little that Jochen doesn’t know when it comes to business management. Passionate, well-informed and engaging, Jochen is the perfect speaker for your next event.
