Get To Know
Dominique Gathier

Do you remember your first PUMA product? What was it, and when did you get it?

I played football from age 4 and for over 25 years, so it’s not surprising that my first PUMA product was a pair of football boots. They were black with white branding and neon orange highlights. It may have been in the early 90s or late 80s (scary thoughts).

Fun fact: A few years later, I got a seeding deal through a specialty retailer for free football boots with PUMA! Those were KING then, and I loved them.

What core values guide you in life?

I always try to stay curious and learn new skills so that I can do things better today than I did yesterday. All the while not taking myself too seriously.

What’s one achievement that still lights you up inside?

More than one particular achievement, it’s how, as a team (company-wide), step by step, we developed PUMA into an important player in the football market. Now, just like the game of football itself, there is no standing still, and we continue to push ahead.

What do you love doing when you’re free to be completely yourself?
I am a fairly active person, so typically something that would include doing sports, like mountain biking or running and spending time with family and friends. Best is combining all of that together and be outdoors as much as possible.

You’ve got one evening in a brand-new city – where does your curiosity take you?

I would take public transportation or even better, walk around the city randomly, mostly sticking around in areas, squares, streets where people hang out.

When was the last time you did something totally out of character – and what happened?

Answering this Q&A! I rarely speak about myself and I mean these are some deep questions. It was fun thinking about them. Felt cute, might delete later though.

What’s something that never fails to embarrass you (but still makes you smile later)?

I could be better with remembering names… which at times is stressful. How does Simone (*Hoyer – our Guest Relation and Herzo Canteen Manager) do it? It amazes me how she can call everyone by their name!

*Editor’s note

What part of yourself are you most grateful for?

I guess I am pretty resilient and that often keeps me going.

Which fictional character (from a book or elsewhere) feels a bit like you?

It’s getting nerdy here… growing up in France the legendary manga Captain Tsubasa – Olive et Tom in French – was hugely popular. It’s about football and I really liked one of the supporting characters, Taro Misaki, aka Ben Becker in the French version. He’s a team player, working hard for his teammates and passionate about what he does.

Which book is currently on your bedside table?

I like thrillers and biographies. Currently, I am reading a book about an athlete who cycled one way across the US and ran back the other way. Extraordinary performance and experience, average writing though, I may well need as long to finish the book as it took him to cross the country.

What’s something quirky about you that you can laugh at?

I tend to speak very fast… like very fast. It actually needs to feel like slow-motion in my head to sound about normal to the people around me.

What kind of mistakes are easiest for you to forgive?

Mistakes happen, I think it’s more about how openly you go about them and deal with the consequences.

If you had a personal motto, what would it be?

Since childhood, I am a big fan of Olympique de Marseille, so I’ll take their moto: Droit au But, which could be translated as “straight to the goal”.