Nike shocked the footwear industry today after announcing 13-year CEO Mark Parker would be stepping down from his position early next year. Taking his place on Jan. 13 will be John Donahoe, an experienced CEO who has served on Nike's board of directors since 2014.
While the news may come as a surprise to most, Donahoe has been cutting his teeth in similar roles at high profile companies for much of his career. Read on to find out more about the man who will soon be calling the shots at the Swoosh.
Nike shocked the footwear industry today after announcing 13-year CEO Mark Parker would be stepping down from his position early next year. Taking his place on Jan. 13 will be John Donahoe, an experienced CEO who has served on Nike's board of directors since 2014.
While the news may come as a surprise to most, Donahoe has been cutting his teeth in similar roles at high profile companies for much of his career. Read on to find out more about the man who will soon be calling the shots at the Swoosh.
He's the Ex-CEO of eBay
In 2008, Donahoe became CEO and President of eBay after a three-year stint as the company's Marketplaces President. He held the dual role until July 2015 and was succeeded by Devin Wenig, who remained CEO until last month. During his tenure, Donahoe also filled an executive role at Paypal and was on the eBay board of directors since 2008. Several analysts are pegging this as another play by Nike to establish itself as a serious player in the tech world.
This Will Be His Fourth Time Named CEO
No stranger to being the highest-ranked employee, Donahoe has been CEO at three other companies before Nike including the aforementioned eBay. His first experience came at Boston-based management consultancy company Bain & Co Inc., where he worked for 20 years before becoming the CEO and Managing Director in 2000. Donahoe stayed with Bain & Co until 2005 when he got started at eBay. Following his stint at the online marketplace, he was most recently CEO and President of ServiceNow, a cloud computing company based in San Francisco.
He's Younger Than Mark Parker
Although current CEO Mark Parker reassured employees that he wasn't stepping down for health-related issues, it's worth noting that Donahue is a bit younger than his predecessor. Parker just celebrated his 64th birthday on Monday, while Donahue is 59. As far as education goes, Donahue holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Meanwhile, Parker graduated from Penn State with a bachelor's degree.
He Was Credited With Pushing for Diversity at eBay
Last year, Nike was rocked with numerous allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior and employee complaints over what was described as an exclusive culture. While addressing this situation will be a long-term process, Donahue's appointment can be seen as another step in the right direction. In 2014, eBay credited him with pushing for more diversity at the company, specifically with the Women’s Initiative Network.
His Routine Was Inspired by Obama
"Former President Obama once said that he wore the same clothes and ate the same meals every day," Donahoe wrote in a blog last year. "For him, not having to choose what to wear and eat freed up mind space for more important decisions." The soon-to-be Swoosh CEO follows a similar guideline, working out every morning and making sure to leave open blocks for unplanned things that may come up. "I think about it like building an aquarium—put the big rocks in first, then layer in the smaller rocks, and finally pour the water around it."