Dive Brief:
- Nike is reorganizing its regional senior leadership team, CEO Elliott Hill announced in a note to employees Tuesday. Carl Grebert, vice president and general manager of the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region, and Angela Dong, chairman and CEO of the Greater China region, will exit the company.
- César Garcia will take over Grebert’s role starting Feb. 2, as Grebert retires from a roughly 30-year career at Nike. Garcia has worked at Nike for nearly 25 years, most recently serving in a merchandising, sport priorities and analytics role at the company.
- Cathy Sparks will take on the vice president and general manager of Greater China position. Dong, who has worked at Nike for about 20 years, will leave the company effective March 31. Cristin Campbell — current vice president of Nike Brand for the Asia Pacific and Latin America region — will temporarily fill in for Sparks’ existing position as vice president and general manager of APLA while Nike works to identify a permanent successor.
Dive Insight:
Nike’s newest leadership changes are the latest in a long list of turnaround efforts under CEO Elliot Hill. Hill in December elevated the regional leaders to the senior team, having them report directly to him.
“As we live our Maxim to Be on the Offense Always, I’m confident these changes will further accelerate our Sport Offense, advance our Win Now actions, and position NIKE, Inc. to continue having impact in the way only we can,” Hill said in his note to employees about the shakeup.
The leadership team has changed significantly since Hill took over the CEO position in 2024, including the retirement of several longtime Nike executives. However, the new team is still largely made up of Nike veterans.
In Nike’s December leadership announcement, Nike also eliminated the chief technology officer and chief commercial officer roles. At the same time, Chief Supply Chain Officer Venky Alagirisamy took on the position of chief operating officer, adding the technology department to his existing responsibilities.
Nike's regional leadership shift comes as the company faces ongoing headwinds in its turnaround efforts.
The company’s second quarter revenues released in December increased 1% year over year to $12.4 billion, which was largely due to growth in North America. Hill flagged that Nike continued to struggle in Greater China, which saw a 17% decline in the quarter.
The chief executive reiterated on a call with analysts that Nike’s turnaround will happen at different speeds across different geographies, and he expects China’s turnaround will take more time in particular.
