Diana Marszalek 06 Apr 2023 // 2:02AM GMT
BEAVERTON, OR — Nike CCO Nigel Powell will be retiring this summer after 24 years with the sportwear giant, ceding the role to enterprise communications VP KeJuan Wilkins.
In his new role, Wilkins will lead all of Nike’s global corporate, consumer, and employee communications. A 17-year veteran of the company, Wilkins most recently led global corporate and employee communications. He has previously led communications for Nike's North America region and the Jordan Brand.
Wilkins will formally assume the role June 1.
“KeJuan is a best-in-class communications expert who is well poised to help lead us into Nike’s next growth phase,” said president & CEO John Donahoe, to whom Wilkins will report. “His knowledge, insights, and forward-thinking will be great assets to our executive leadership team.”
Powell’s departure, meantime, caps a notable career at Nike, which included navigating a range of communications challenges for a company at the forefront of brand activism. In 2018, when the company considered cutting ties with Colin Kaepernick, Powell persuaded his company that sticking with Kaepernick was the only authentic course of action, leading to the activist NFL star became the centerpiece of Nike’s 30th anniversary ‘Just Do It’ campaign.
Powell, among PRovoke Media’s Influence 100, joined Nike in 1999 and held leadership positions in EMEA and North America before taking on the executive VP, CCO role in 2018.
“For the last 24 years, Nigel has been a visionary communicator leading and driving some of the biggest, most complex, and impactful moments for the brand,” said Donahoe. “We thank him for his years of service to the business and wish him the very best in his retirement.”