In 1967 he joined the computer company Sperry Univac (today part of Unisys) where he became Vice President of Marketing in 1970.
In 1972 he became "Privatdozent" (formal lecturer) at the University of St Gallen and in 1973 he was appointed Extraordinarius (Professor and member of the Senate).
Since the 1970s Pümpin has been a well-known lecturer at international congresses and seminars such as the World Economic Forum, and the ISC in St. Gallen.
In the late 1980s Pümpin worked closely with Professor Michael Porter of Harvard University and supported him in his research on the "International Competitiveness of Nations.
Management strategischer Erfolgspositionen - SEP (1982), published in English in 1987 under the title The Essence of Corporate Strategy is considered his most important work.
Pümpin defined a Strategic Excellence Position (SEP) as a "...central competence of the corporation that enables it to achieve outstanding results."
Thus Pümpin became a forerunner of the concept of core competences that plays a central role in today’s strategic management.
In the 1980s Ernst & Young decided to use the concept of “Strategic Excellence Positions” as a basis for their strategy consulting activities.
Contrary to traditional publications on asset management that apply capital market theory, Pümpin's approach strictly builds on strategy teachings.