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Apple CEO’s Other Job: Helping Turn Nike Around

Apple chief Tim Cook, the longest-tenured member of Nike’s board of directors, is helping guide co-founder Phil Knight and executive chairman Mark Parker through one of the sportswear giant’s toughest years ever.
Tim Cook speaking at an Apple event
Over the past 19 years, Cook has carved out a role as one of Nike’s closest outside advisers and is the company’s lead independent director. (Shutterstock)
By
BoF PROFESSIONAL

A new iPad lineup wasn’t the only thing on Tim Cook’s mind when he introduced the tablets from Apple Inc.’s California headquarters in May. The hint was on his feet: a pair of one-of-a-kind sneakers designed on an iPad just for Cook, by Nike Inc.

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Further Reading

A Memo to Elliott Hill on His First Day at Nike

The new CEO has a monumental task ahead of him as he begins work on Nike’s turnaround strategy. Success means resetting expectations, showing evidence of meaningful innovation, recapturing the attention of sneakerheads and earning the trust of retailers.

How Nike Ran Off Course | The Debrief

Senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor Brian Baskin are joined by BoF sports correspondent Daniel-Yaw Miller to examine how Nike’s recent struggles — from internal restructuring to marketing missteps — have impacted its dominance and what the brand is doing to reclaim its status.

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