NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) today shared the following note with teammates regarding changes to its Senior Leadership Team:
To: Lst-Global
From: EHill
Subject: Leadership Announcements
Team,
In recent months, the Senior Leadership Team has benefited from having our Geography VP/GMs at the table helping us move faster and bringing us closer to athletes* in both countries and marketplaces around the world.
As we continue to drive our Win Now actions and stand up our Sport Offense, I’d like to share several important leadership changes across three of our Geo VP/GM roles.
EMEA
Carl Grebert, a true legend on our team, has decided to retire after nearly 30 years of service and leadership across global, country and geography roles across the company. Carl shared his thinking with me some time ago, and I’m deeply grateful he helped guide us through my first year and thoughtfully worked with us to identify his successor. To say Carl is beloved is an understatement. But more than that, his career and leadership are deeply inspiring. When Carl joined Nike in 1997 (the year of the Bulls’ infamous Flu Game and Tiger’s first Masters) Nike was still out to prove itself and its role in the world.
If you look at what we’ve proven since—that athletes* don’t just endorse culture, they shape it; that taking a point of view like Just Do It beats playing it safe; and that sport is a mirror of society, not just an escape from it—you’ll find Carl in the stands, on the field, and in the highlight reels of this company. He was often behind the scenes but always focused on making Nike better. As we work to invite more people into the world of sport, I know we can draw lessons from Carl’s career, and I look forward to doing so as we celebrate and thank him for everything he’s given this company.
With Carl’s retirement, I’m excited to share that César Garcia will become our new VP/GM of EMEA, effective February 2.
César started at Nike nearly 25 years ago as an EKIN in Spain and has since built a critical ability to connect product, sport, and marketplace into one integrated system. He’s led through moments of growth and moments of reset across geographies and businesses and is known for bringing clarity where things are complex, and momentum where teams need it most.
Most recently, César helped integrate merchandising, sport priorities, and analytics to sharpen how we serve athletes* and scale innovation. Earlier in his career, his general management experience across Asia Pacific & Latin America, Global Running, and Western Europe shaped him into a leader who understands how local culture, global strategy, and execution meet on the ground.
César is a builder. He sets a clear bar, develops strong teams, and moves with intent. That combination makes him the right leader for EMEA at this moment. You can read more about César’s background and experience here.
Amy Montagne, President of the Nike Brand, will share more soon on the leader who will assume César’s current responsibilities and role.
GREATER CHINA
I also want to share that Angela Dong, who currently leads our Greater China geography, has decided to pass the baton and transition from her role and the company, effective March 31.
Angela joined Nike in 2005 and has held a range of increasingly senior roles across Greater China for more than 20 years. Her tenure and leadership have spanned pivotal moments for sport, culture, and our business in this geo, including the Beijing Olympics, the rapid rise of the Chinese consumer and digital ecosystem and the unprecedented disruption and recovery connected to the global pandemic, among many others. Over the years, she led the team to shape sport culture in Greater China by championing athletes at defining moments through signature brand experience like the Shanghai Marathon, CHBL and HBL, ACG Chongli 168, and Next Stop Dongdan.
Throughout her more than two decades with Nike, Angela has earned a reputation for strong leadership, deep knowledge of the marketplace and the business and helping steward us through complexity and change. For this, and so much more, we are grateful for Angela’s contributions to so many chapters of Nike’s storied presence in this critical market.
Please join me in thanking Angela for her dedication and wishing her the best in her next chapter.
Greater China is at a critical moment that calls for a leader who knows how to rebuild momentum, earn trust, and reconnect sport and culture to the marketplace. That’s why I’ve asked Cathy Sparks to step into the role of VP/GM, Greater China.
Cathy is a 25-year Nike veteran who began her journey as a store athlete at what was then Niketown Portland and went on to lead teams across every geography. Most recently, she served as VP/GM of APLA, one of our most complex regions, where she drove marketplace transformation and consumer-led growth.
Cathy has lived and worked across multiple regions, including Asia, and brings deep intuition for athletes*, consumers, and the role Nike plays at the intersection of sport and culture. She builds strong teams, moves with urgency, and knows how to bring Nike’s magic back to markets that need it most.
Cathy is excited to return to Asia with her family—a region she knows well and loves—and to lead this next chapter in Greater China.
You can read more about Cathy’s background and experience here.
APLA
With Cathy’s transition, I’m pleased to share that Cristin “Crissy” Campbell, currently VP of Nike Brand for APLA and leading our Sport Offense for the geo, will serve as Interim VP/GM of APLA and join the Senior Leadership Team.
Crissy has spent more than 15 years at Nike – eight of those in APLA across a range of business leadership roles, including leading Jordan and Women’s. She is uniquely suited to ensure continuity, stability, and momentum for this important geography. I look forward to sharing more as we identify long-term leadership for this role.
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.
My best,
Elliott
President & CEO, NIKE, Inc.
About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Converse, a wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiary brand, designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, NIKE, Inc.’s earnings releases and other financial information are available on the Internet at https://investors.Nike.com/. Individuals can also visit https://about.Nike.com/ and follow NIKE on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
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César Garcia, VP/GM Nike Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
Cathy Sparks, VP/GM Nike Greater China