Nike Inc. on Thursday said Trevor Edwards, it second highest-ranking executive who many believed might succeed CEO Mark Parker, will retire in August. The announcement comes as the footwear giant confirmed that it is investigating complaints of inappropriate workplace behavior.
A Nike spokesman said no direct allegations of misconduct have been made against Edwards. The company wouldn't provide further details.
"There's been conduct inconsistent with Nike's core values and against our code of conduct," Nike spokesman Greg Rossiter said. "When we hear of claims, we investigate and take appropriate action."
The complaints and Edwards' forthcoming departure were first reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing an internal staff memo in which CEO Mark Parker described the employees who came forward as "strong and courageous." The memo also noted that Nike would conduct a review of its human resources systems and how it evaluates internal complaints, the WSJ reported.
Edwards, Nike brand president, will step down from his position immediately, the WSJ reported. He'll stay on board at Nike as an advisor to Parker until his retirement in August.
Meanwhile, as the news was breaking Thursday, Nike issued its own press release announcing that Parker would say on as CEO and chairman "beyond 2020."
Edwards' departure spurred an immediate management restructuring at Nike.
Rather than seeking a replacement for Edwards, the company appointed Elliott Hill, its former president of Nike geographies, to a new role as president of "Consumer and Marketplace" where he will manage marketing, geographies, direct-to-consumer efforts and global sales. Michael Spillane will continue to lead all "categories, design, product and merchandising," with both now reporting directly to Parker.
A native of London, Edwards joined Nike in 1992 as a regional marketing manager after six years with Colgate-Palmolive working in global business development. He later led marketing efforts in several key geographic regions, before taking the lead on U.S. marketing in 2000.
Within two years he was promoted again, this time to the newly created position of executive vice president for global brand management. In 2006, his responsibilities expanded to include oversight of the company’s various product categories.
Though he held that position for several years, his star only continued to rise.
According to a brief biography on Nike’s investor relations website, Edwards is credited with leading several key innovations, including Nike+ sports training technology that connects digitally enabled footwear with mobile apps. Edwards is also credited with driving Nike’s branding efforts on social media.
When the company’s No. 2 executive, Charlie Denson, announced his retirement in 2013, Edwards was chosen as his successor, sparking immediate speculation that he could one day succeed Mark Parker as Nike’s CEO.
Edwards has also served on the board of directors for toymaker Mattel Inc.since 2012.
“I’d like to thank Trevor for the important role he has played for 25 years and for his significant contributions," Parker said in a statement. "He has helped us grow and strengthen our brand on a global scale. I am committed to stay in my role as chairman, president and CEO beyond 2020. Trevor has decided to retire. We are fortunate to have a strong management team in place who is well suited to drive our next stage of growth and to steward and evolve our culture in the future.”
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