Nike Inc. announced on Nov. 14 leadership changes that “will continue to build on its strong momentum and deep commitment to serving athletes with product innovation, design excellence, and powerful storytelling while imagining the future of sport and serving consumers at speed and scale.”
Reorganization of innovation and design teams
John Hoke, a 30-year Nike veteran, will become Chief Innovation Officer at Nike Inc. Hoke, who most recently served as Nike’s first Chief Design Officer, will work with Tom Clarke, President, Innovation, to strengthen and accelerate Nike’s innovation strategy and reputation. Hoke will be succeeded as Chief Design Officer by 26-year Nike designer Martin Lotti. Lotti, who has decades of experience and leadership at Nike, assumes the top design role at Nike after most recently serving as Chief Design Officer for the Jordan Brand. In his new role, Lotti will oversee all aspects of Nike’s design, from footwear and apparel to brand and retail concepts. Hoke and Lotti take up their new positions immediately.
New CMO
Effective Jan. 2, 2024, Nicole Hubbard Graham will be named the group’s new Chief Marketing Officer. Graham, who has been with Nike for 18 years, will lead Nike’s Global Brand Marketing team and oversee all aspects of marketing to align the company’s brand for its next growth phase. She previously held various global marketing leadership roles at Nike, spanning the entire organization and all regions. Most recently, she co-founded Adopt, a minority-owned company and creative agency. Graham succeeds Dirk-Jan van Hameren, who has decided to retire after 31 years at Nike next summer.
“These leadership changes enable us to further obsess our unparalleled innovation, product, design, and storytelling to reimagine sport for the next generation of athletes,” said Heidi O’Neill, President, Consumer, Product and Brand. “Together, these leaders will deliver new levels of performance, style and breakthrough storytelling for consumers around the world.” Hoke, Lotti and Graham will report to O’Neill.
A CTO from Amazon for more efficiency
New to Nike Inc., Dr. Muge Erdirik Dogan joins as Chief Technology Officer to further deepen and strengthen the speed, efficiency and quality of Nike’s customer experiences across products, platforms and services. Rumors about this new addition to the company had already been published earlier. In her new role, Dogan will develop technological innovations to accelerate Nike’s growth plans. She will be part of the Executive Leadership Team and report to John Donahoe, President & CEO. Dogan joins Nike from Amazon, where she most recently served as President of Amazon Fashion, leading the business, technology, science, product and operations teams. Before that, she held leadership positions at Amazon, including Vice President of Last Mile Delivery and General Manager of Beauty and Baby for North America. Her new role at Nike will be effective Nov. 27, 2023.
