Thread regarding Nike Inc. layoffs

That’s a lot of E and S bands pretty much doing the same job. They needed to clean house with the lifers and get some fresh creative blood pumping again. Nike can’t survive with just political campaigns they need some new talent. 10-15 years your brain becomes stale and repetitive .

So- none of these VPs had their non competes enforced?

@2omj, agreed with minor correction; people employed after 6/1/21 already secured their bonus, so no need to wait. However, we f you are referring to stocks vesting on 9/1, then yes people may wait for that then depart.

People in brand are leaving because they have no money to market anything. Budgets are tight but I can’t wait to see the bonus payout to HO/JD and MM.

People will secure their bonuses and then leave. The HO/JD s$#% show of a strategy will really hurt the company in the long run. Anyone who has worked vertical retail knows what a margin buster it can be to move slow items when you own it 100%. The way these two are treating their wholesale parters will also bite them on the a$$. So many “bootie calls” were made to Footlocker over the years to move inventory to make quarter/year end numbers or to book product that might not be that great to hit a number. The partnership is gone but there will come a day when they are going to need these WS partners…and they will have no one to call.

Is anyone asking why so many talented people left the marketing organization? The list is way longer than the one here.... yet nobody is doing anything to stop great talent from leaving

The most significant exodus has been taking place within the brand marketing team from what I have seen. VP, S band and even some E band talent all exiting on their own the last 6 months.

Gino Fisanotti
Then: Nike creative officer
Now: Chief brand officer at Moncler

Clocked in: June 1997
Clocked out: June 2021
Gino Fisanotti worked at Nike for 23 years and was most recently the company's first brand creative officer. Fisanotti helped spearhead marketing campaigns, product concepts, and brand experiences. The Nike veteran was recently tapped to serve as the chief brand officer at Moncler, an Italian luxury fashion brand founded in 1952 and known for its down jackets.

Sophie Bambuck

Sophie Bambuck. Everlane
Then: Vice president of global brand marketing, Nike sportswear
Now: Everlane, CMO
Clocked in: 2008
Clocked out: February 2021
Sophie Bambuck worked at Nike for more than 13 years. Her most recent role was as the vice president of global brand marketing for Nike sportswear.
In February she was tapped by Everlane to be the direct-to-consumer fashion brand's first chief marketing officer. Bambuck is responsible for creative marketing strategies to reach new consumers at the company, which aims to be transparent about its prices and suppliers.

Samantha Halverson
Then: Vice president, global human resources, business partners at Converse (owned by Nike Inc.)
Now: Senior vice president of people and culture at NZXT
Clocked in: 2007
Clocked out: March 2021
Samantha Halverson most recently served as the vice president of global human resources, business partners at Converse, which is owned by Nike Inc. In her role, she worked on creating a diverse workplace and advised the president of Converse on corporate strategy related to human resources. She worked at the Nike brand until transferring to Converse in 2013. She was announced in April as the senior vice president of people and culture at NZXT, a computer manufacturer focused on designing devices that are ideal for gaming. 
"I loved my time at Nike and Converse, especially during times of growth and when I personally felt challenged," Halverson said in a NZXT blog post. "Tech continues to grow and evolve in interesting ways and NZXT is right in the middle of that growth."

Matthijs Visch
Then: Vice president and general manager of EMEA East (Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa) at Nike

Now: General manager of EMEA at Patagonia
Clocked in: May 2001
Clocked out: February 2021
Matthijs Visch worked at Nike for almost 20 years, most recently as the brand's vice president and general manager for East EMEA (Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). In April, he joined Patagonia as a general manager. He will run the sports brand's business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa regions. 

Christophe Merkel
Then: Nike vice president and general manager of Paris and EMEA North (France, Benelux, Nordics)
Now: CEO at Active Brands
Clocked in: September 2008
Clocked out: February 2021
Before joining Active Brands as CEO in March, Christophe Merkel worked at Nike as the vice president and general manager of Paris and EMEA North (France, Benelux, Nordics). In his new role, Merkel will focus on expanding the Norway-based company's global markets through e-commerce and new technology. Founded in 2010, Active Brands is the parent company to brands such as Vossatassar, Kari Traa, Johaug, Dæhlie Sportswear, Bula, Åsnes, and Sweet Protection.
"I have been impressed with Active Brands' successful development, and their ability to keep a steady course, even through challenging times," Merkel said in a statement in SGBMedia.

Ervin Zaka
Then: Nike vice president, Beijing
Now: Chief digital officer at L'Oreal
Clocked in: March 2016
Clocked out: March 2021
Ervin Zaka worked in various roles for Nike's market in China since 2016. He most recently served as Nike's vice president for Beijing before joining L'Oreal as the cosmetics company's chief digital officer in March of 2021. L'Oreal is one of the world's largest beauty companies and includes brands such as Garnier, Lancôme, and Urban Decay. Zaka is based out of Shanghai.
Gavin Lindberg
Then: Vice president and CFO of innovation, product, and brand for the Jordan and Converse brands
Now: Recently joined the PDRVC board of advisors
Clocked in: 2002
Clocked out: January 2021
Gavin Lindberg worked in a variety of executive roles at Nike over the last 18 years. He most recently served as the vice president and CFO of innovation, product, and brand for the Jordan and Converse brands. In June, he was added as a member of the board of advisors for PDRVC, a consulting and engineering firm focused on AI and machine learning.

Emma Minto
Then: Vice president and general manager for Nike Women's, North America
Now: Senior vice president and general manager of the Americas, Crocs
Clocked in: 2004
Clocked out: 2020
Emma Minto became a senior vice president and general manager of the Americas for Crocs in February, where she will lead the brand's operations in the Americas. She came to Crocs, the quirky sandal brand that saw a more than 60% increase in revenues this past quarter, after spending 16 years in leadership roles at Nike. She most recently served as the vice president and general manager of Nike Women's, North America. In this role, she worked on strategies for bringing women's running, training, and sportswear product to market.
"Anyone paying attention knows that Crocs' brand and business have never been stronger, and there's plenty of room for continued growth," Minto said in a February press release. "I'm excited to join this incredible team and 'come as you are' culture, bringing the joy of comfort technologies and personalization to consumers everywhere."

Craig Zanon
Then: Vice president and general manager for global basketball at Nike
Now: Senior vice president for emerging brands at Columbia Sportswear Co.
Clocked in: 1997
Clocked out: 2020
Craig Zanon spent more than 20 years at Nike, most recently as the vice president and general manager for global basketball. In March, Columbia Sportswear announced Zanon as the replacement for Doug Morse, the previous senior vice president for emerging brands, upon his retirement. In his new role Zanon is responsible for growing the portfolio of brands under the outdoor apparel and footwear retailer's name. Columbia's brands include SOREL, Mountain Hardwear, and prAna.
Zanon said in a March press release, "I look forward to nurturing the unique aspects of each of these iconic brands to help them reach their potential."

Blanca Gonzalez
Then: Nike vice president and general manager for North America, kids
Now: Senior vice president of global merchandising at Lululemon

Clocked in: March 1997
Clocked out: December 2020
Blanca Gonzalez spent almost 20 years at Nike, most recently as the brand's vice president and general manager for North America, kids. In February she started a new role as Lululemon's senior vice president of global merchandising, leading the merchandising strategy for men's and women's products. She's focused on expanding brand awareness in the run, train, and yoga categories. Lululemon Athletica recently reported 88% revenue growth for the first quarter.

Craig Lyon
Then: Senior director of brand marketing, Nike North America
Now: Vice president, head of marketing at Connected Cannabis Co.
Clocked in: 2011
Clocked out: February 2021
Craig Lyon spent about a decade at Nike before leaving and joining Connected Cannabis Co. as the head of marketing in March. At Nike, Lyon focused on brand growth through storytelling and market-specific initiatives in the US and Canada. At Connected Cannabis Co., Lyon will lead the marketing strategy for the California-based cannabis breeder and retailer.

David Creech
Then: Nike vice president brand creative, global men's
Now: Adopt cofounder
Clocked in: August 2004
Clocked out: February 2021
David Creech spent over 15 years at Nike, where worked on creative branding for the Nike and Jordan brands. In his role he worked with athletes including Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. He was one of three former Nike executives to start their own marketing and creative agency named Adopt, which the founders announced in April. Nicole Graham and Josh Moore are also part of the venture.
Creech will oversee design, brand, and product at the new agency, which focuses on marketing for companies in the sports, health, and wellness space. The former Nike execs are joined by sports agent Rich Paul, best known for representing NBA star LeBron James. 
"There is this opportunity we believe that exists in the sports and wellness space that we can come in, identify and uncover market opportunities," Creech told CNBC in an April interview.

Nicole Graham
Then: VP of global categories and direct marketing at Nike

Now: Adopt cofounder
Clocked in: 2004
Clocked out: January 2021
Nicole Graham was most recently Nike's vice president of global brand marketing before she started Adopt, a sports and wellness marketing agency, earlier this year. She's working with two other Nike executives, Josh Moore and David Creech, on the new venture. Graham will focus on strategy and brand at Adopt.

Josh Moore
Then: Nike vice president and global head of design for digital, stores, and content
Now: Adopt cofounder
Clocked in: 2008
Clocked out: January 2021
Josh Moore, along with David Creech and Nicole Graham, recently started Adopt, a sports and wellness marketing agency. Moore was previously Nike's vice president and global head of design for digital, stores, and content. He worked at Nike for over a decade.

Courtney Kissler
Then: Vice president, Nike global technology
Now: Chief technology officer at Zulily

Clocked in: September 2017
Clocked out: January 2021
While at Nike, Courtney Kissler helped create a technology strategy to power Nike's global supply chain. She focused on inventory and order fulfillment for Nike's global marketplace, according to her LinkedIn profile. Before Nike she served as Starbucks' VP of retail technology and in leadership roles at Nordstrom. In March, Kissler joined Zulily, an online retailer that offers daily deals for apparel, home, and kids products. She is responsible for tech operations.

At least 20 executives have left Nike in the past 7 months and joined brands like Lululemon, Patagonia, and Everlane. Here's a running list of the departures, and what they could mean for the future of the swoosh.
Shoshy Ciment Jun 9, 2021, 7:33 AM

Major brands are scooping up former long-time Nike executives. In the past seven months at least 20 Nike executives — including vice presidents and general managers — have left the company and have joined brands such as Patagonia, Lululemon, Everlane, and others.
Matthijs W. Visch worked at Nike for nearly 20 years before leaving in February and joining Patagonia as a general manager, where he runs the sports brand's business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa regions. Natalie Hausia-Haugen worked at Nike for six years in a variety of people and culture roles before leaving to join Auth0, a secure-login-application company, in May as its head of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Some of these departures are likely a result of recent company-wide layoffs and a restructuring at Nike. Since CEO John Donahoe took the helm in January 2020, he has led the company in its transformation to a tech-first direct-to-consumer brand.
With its internal structure shifting, Nike laid off hundreds of employees across business sectors last summer and through the fall. Since then, several long-time executives have been tapped to head up business units at different and sometimes competing brands.
NPD sports analyst Matt Powell suggested that many of these longtime executives were likely laid off by Nike during the restructure. "Clearly other companies saw value where Nike did not," he said.
Nike is focusing more deeply on its direct-to-consumer business, which has diminished the importance of certain roles related to the company's shrinking wholesale business.
Beth Brown, a former senior sales director for department stores at Nike, was recently tapped by Tommy John to serve as the brand's vice president of sales. Tommy John, founded in 2018, sells both men's and women's underwear and loungewear. The company's sales grew 20% in 2020 compared with the year before, with its loungewear category skyrocketing by 130%.
Nike's DTC push led to what Brown described as a "reduction of the sales force" and served as an impetus for her making a professional change.
"There was definitely some changes going on there," Brown said. "This was an amazing time to start a new adventure."
Insider tracked some of the highest-profile departures from Nike since about December 2020. Nike declined to comment for this story. Unless otherwise indicated, the people listed below did not return a request for comment.
Many of these employees had spent over a decade at the brand. Here's what their tenure looked like, and where they landed.

Melissa Ohm
Then: Global vice president for women's apparel at Nike
Now: Chief product officer at Tommy John
Clocked in: 2007
Clocked out: March 2021
Melissa Ohm, Nike's former global vice president for women's apparel, began her role as Tommy John's chief product officer in April. Underwear brand Tommy John was founded in 2018 and sells men's and women's loungewear.
Ohm, who previously held roles at Adidas and Nordstrom, previously told Insider that the chance to hop on to a smaller yet growing brand was too exciting to pass up. She said her role at Nike taught her about the importance of innovation when it came to addressing the needs of the consumer.
At Nike, product innovations like Lunarlon foam cushioning and the self-lacing Nike Adapt sneaker have set industry standards for footwear innovation. At Tommy John, the same can be said about material developments like the quick-draw fly and the hammock pouch.
"Innovation ultimately should be something that makes it easier for consumers to live their life," Ohm said. She declined to add an additional comment for this story.

Beth Brown
Beth Brown. Tommy John
Then: Senior sales director for department stores at Nike
Now: Vice president of sales for Tommy John
Clocked in: 2002
Clocked out: March 2021
Beth Brown began her role as vice president of sales at Tommy John's, a men's and women's underwear and loungewear company founded in 2018, in March. Previously, she spent 18 years at Nike, most recently as the senior sales director for department stores.
Now at Tommy John, Brown is leveraging nearly two decades' worth of sales experience to strengthen key relationships with wholesalers, a departure from her former employer's customer-acquisition strategy.
To pivot to a mostly direct-to-consumer model, Nike has turned its attention to its e-commerce business and ended partnerships with various wholesalers in recent months, including Zappos, Dillard's, DSW, and Urban Outfitters. The changes led to what Brown previously described as a "reduction of the sales force" and served as an impetus for her making a professional change.

Adrian Nyman
Then: VP creative director, global retail at Nike
Now: Chief brand officer, Arrival
Clocked in: September 2010
Clocked out: January 2021
Adrian Nyman spent over a decade at Nike before leaving in January. At Nike, Nyman worked on strengthening the swoosh's retail presence across the globe and worked on projects such as Nike's flagship House of Innovation concept.
In February he was confirmed as the chief of brand at global technology company Arrival, which offers solutions for designing and assembling cars. In his role Nyman leads marketing and product initiatives to define and promote the Arrival brand globally.
"Arrival's audacious vision for not just revolutionizing transportation but also reimagining how vehicles are manufactured for a better planet is truly inspiring," Nyman said in a statement.

Natalie Hausia-Haugen
Then: Director, HR business partner at Nike
Now: Head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Auth0
Clocked in: December 2015
Clocked out: March 2021
Natalie Hausia-Haugen worked at Nike for six years in a variety of people and culture roles. Most recently she served as Nike's HR business partner, where she was responsible for HR within Nike's Asia Pacific-La--n America team. She also helped lead Nike's diversity and inclusion employee council as well as one of the company's employee resources groups. She joined Auth0, a secure-login-application company, in May as head of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
"My vision is for Auth0 to be DEI pioneers for the tech industry by modeling what it means to embed DEI into our business, talent, and social practices and become more successful because of it," Hausia-Haugen said in a company blog post.

Kalen Thornton
Then: Nike North America vice president, men's brand management
Now: Gatorade CMO
Clocked in: July 2011
Clocked out: March 2021
Kalen Thornton spent 10 years at Nike, most recently as the brand's North American VP for men's brand management. In that role he executed strategies for bringing Nike men's product to market. He previously played linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. In February, PepsiCo announced Thornton as Gatorade's new chief marketing officer.
"It's a privilege to join a brand like Gatorade that has such a rich back story and unwavering commitment to leveraging science-based innovation to fuel athletes everywhere," Thornton said in a statement. "I look forward to working alongside the great minds at Gatorade to continue to grow the brand and help athletes stay at the top of their game."

Craig Lyon
Then: Senior director of brand marketing, Nike North America
Now: Vice president, head of marketing at Connected Cannabis Co.
Clocked in: 2011
Clocked out: February 2021
Craig Lyon spent about a decade at Nike before leaving and joining Connected Cannabis Co. as the head of marketing in March. At Nike, Lyon focused on brand growth through storytelling and market-specific initiatives in the US and Canada. At Connected Cannabis Co., Lyon will lead the marketing strategy for the California-based cannabis breeder and retailer.

I saw that article and was surprised at the names that left Nike just to be done with it.
I guess ES and EH were 100% correct - at least some other companies got excellent board members from it.
On a side note, I'd bet on Lululemon and Columbia to have a bit of success with the people who have ended up there.

The GOT team got an email yesterday, there was a one liner about some GC VP that “decided to resign”. Tone was cold and nothing on thanking him.. hope he’s going somewhere nicer.