By Cameron VanDer Merwe
Nike, Inc is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment. accessories,and services.
The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area. It is one of the world's largest suppliers of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment.
The company was founded on January 25, 1964, as Blue Ribbon Sports, by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight,[1] and officially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1971. The company takes its name from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Blazers, Air Force 1, Nike Dunk, Air Max, Foamposite, Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including Brand Jordan, Hurley International and Converse.
In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world, with the highly recognized trademarks of "Just Do It" and the Swoosh logo.
Mr. Knight, 78, a director since 1968, is Chairman Emeritus of NIKE, Inc. Mr. Knight is a co-founder of the company and, except for the period from June 1983 through September 1984, served as its President from 1968 to 1990, and from June 2000 to 2004. Prior to 1968, Mr. Knight was a certified public accountant with Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand and was an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Portland State University. Mr. Knight led Nike from a small partnership founded on a handshake to the world’s largest footwear, apparel, and equipment company
Long before he was named Chairman, President and CEO of NIKE, Inc., Mark Parker was leading the company in other ways. After running competitively at Penn State University, Parker joined Nike as one of our first footwear designers back in 1979. And he’s been at the center of Nike innovation ever since. For more than 30 years, he’s brought innovative concepts and engineering expertise into such vital roles as Vice President of Consumer Product Marketing, Vice President of Global Footwear and Co-President of the Nike Brand. He’s led the way for Nike Air and a multitude of industry-breakthroughs in product design. In addition to helping lead the continued growth of the Nike brand, Parker is responsible for the growth of NIKE, Inc.'s global business portfolio, which includes Converse Inc. and Hurley International LLC.
As President of the NIKE Brand, Edwards is responsible for leading all category and geographic business units, the Jordan Brand and Action Sports, which includes Hurley International LLC, Digital Sport and brand management throughout the world as well as leading NIKE's wholesale, retail and e-commerce operations. Edwards was previously Global Brand & Category Management Executive Vice President, where he was responsible for helping to drive the NIKE Brand growth strategy by leading its category business units globally. Edwards joined the company in 1992 as a Regional Marketing Manager and has held senior marketing positions in the Americas, the Europe/Middle East/Africa region, the U.S. and Global Brand Management. Edwards has led some of the brand’s most significant break-through innovations, including spearheading the creation of Nike+, a revolutionary sports training experience that connects digitally enabled footwear with digital services. He has also helped transform the digital landscape and position Nike as a leader by using social media to connect with consumers globally.
Nike Board of Directors