Nike Have a New Chief Innovation Officer (And He’s a Veteran Swoosh Employee)
There have been plenty of shake-ups at Beaverton headquarters under new CEO , who’s destined to get the brand back on track. The latest is the introduction of a fresh Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), Tony Bignell, who will take over from John Hoke.
Current CIO Hoke is a 33-year Nike employee. He started with the Swoosh in 1992 as Chief Design Officer, holding the position for 15 years before his appointment to CIO in 2023. He will stay on board at One Bowerman Drive until October, and help with the transition.
Bignell’s appointment hasn’t been officially announced by Nike, but has made headlines after an internal memo was obtained by .
Bignell began his journey with Nike in 1996 before departing in 2001, after which he re-joined again in 2003. He has held positions across running, performance and innovation, and most recently occupied the role of VP of Men’s Sport Performance Footwear, which he began in 2020.
Bignell has played a part in bringing to life innovative footwear like the , and Nike Next%. Most notably, he was part of the team, a project which saw Nike attempt and succeeded in breaking the two-hour marathon barrier.
Nike are sure to make an official announcement soon, so stay locked to keep updated.