Elliott Hill

Elliott Hill
Born	Template:Birth year and age
Birthplace	United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Title	President and CEO
Employer	Nike, Inc.
Known for	President and CEO of Nike, Inc.

Elliott Hill is an American business executive who serves as the president and chief executive officer of Nike, Inc., one of the world's largest and most recognizable sportswear companies. His career at Nike spans nearly four decades, beginning as an intern in 1988 and progressing through a series of leadership roles across the company's global operations. Hill retired from Nike prior to the appointment of John Donahoe as chief executive in 2020, but was called back to lead the company effective October 2024, succeeding Donahoe amid a period of strategic and financial challenges for the brand. Hill's return to Nike was met with considerable attention in the business press, as the company sought to reverse declining market share and restore relationships with retail partners, athletes, and consumers. A graduate of Texas Christian University (TCU), Hill's trajectory from intern to CEO has been described as emblematic of Nike's own founding ethos that greatness can be found in anyone.

Early Life

Elliott Hill was born in the United States around 1964. Details about his early childhood, family background, and upbringing prior to his college years are not extensively documented in public sources. What is known is that Hill grew up with an interest in athletics and sports culture, which would later inform his decades-long career in the sportswear industry.

Hill attended Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas, graduating in 1986. His time at TCU laid the groundwork for his subsequent entry into the corporate world. The university has since recognized Hill as one of its most prominent alumni, highlighting his journey from college graduate to the head of a global corporation as a representation of the institution's values and mission.

Education

Hill earned his bachelor's degree from Texas Christian University in 1986. TCU, a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas, has prominently featured Hill in its alumni communications and leadership profiles. The university has cited Hill's career arc — from TCU graduate to intern at Nike to the company's top leadership role — as illustrative of how the institution prepares students for leadership in global organizations. Hill has maintained a connection with TCU throughout his career, and the university has featured him in its "Lead On" campaign highlighting accomplished alumni.

Career

Early Career at Nike

Elliott Hill joined Nike as an intern in 1988, approximately two years after graduating from Texas Christian University. He entered the company at a time when Nike was ascending to global dominance in the athletic footwear and apparel market. Over the following years, Hill rose through the organization's ranks, taking on progressively senior roles across multiple divisions and geographies within the company.

Hill's career at Nike spanned a wide array of functions and markets. Over the course of more than three decades, he built deep institutional knowledge of Nike's operations, its relationships with athletes and retail partners, and its brand strategy. His long tenure within the company provided him with an intimate understanding of both the culture and the commercial mechanics of the sportswear industry.

Senior Leadership Roles

Prior to his retirement, Hill held a number of senior leadership positions at Nike. He rose to become one of the most senior executives within the company's hierarchy, overseeing significant portions of its global business. His career progression included responsibilities for key markets and business units, making him one of the most experienced leaders in the organization.

Hill's leadership was characterized by close engagement with Nike's core constituencies: athletes, retail partners, and consumers. His deep relationships across the sports industry and retail landscape would later become a central rationale for his recall to the CEO position.

Retirement and Departure

Hill decided to retire from Nike prior to the appointment of John Donahoe as chief executive officer in 2020. Donahoe, a former CEO of eBay and ServiceNow, was brought in to lead Nike through a digital transformation and direct-to-consumer strategy. Hill's departure meant that one of the company's most seasoned internal leaders stepped away during a period of strategic transition.

During the Donahoe era, Nike pursued an aggressive shift toward direct-to-consumer sales and digital channels, a strategy that, while initially supported by pandemic-era e-commerce growth, eventually drew criticism for weakening the company's relationships with wholesale retail partners and diluting brand heat in the marketplace.

Appointment as CEO (2024)

On September 19, 2024, Nike announced that John Donahoe would step down as president and CEO and that Elliott Hill would return to the company to assume the role, effective October 2024. The leadership change was announced alongside an acknowledgment from Donahoe himself that it was the right time for a transition. The New York Times and CNBC reported the change as a significant shift, noting that Hill's deep Nike heritage contrasted sharply with Donahoe's background as an outsider executive.

The Financial Times reported that Hill's appointment was seen as an effort to return Nike to its roots as a sport-centric brand, after a period in which the company's identity and market position had been challenged by rising competition and strategic missteps under the direct-to-consumer pivot. Hill's internal pedigree — spanning 32 years with the company before his retirement — was cited as a key factor in his selection. Nike's board viewed his relationships across the sports and retail industries, as well as his understanding of the company's culture, as essential assets for the turnaround ahead.

Nike Turnaround Strategy (2024–2025)

Upon returning to Nike, Hill embarked on a wide-ranging effort to stabilize and reposition the company. In his first year as CEO, he articulated a strategy focused on several core priorities: restoring Nike's connection to sport and athletes, rebuilding relationships with wholesale retail partners, reigniting innovation in product, and reinvigorating employee morale and company culture.

In an interview published by Nike in October 2025, marking his first anniversary as CEO, Hill described his approach as returning Nike to its foundational identity as a company that serves athletes. He emphasized the importance of showing up for athletes, stoking innovation, and restoring the pride of Nike employees in the brand and its mission.

Speaking with CNBC in October 2025, Hill acknowledged that the turnaround would "take a while" and that the company's return to sustained profitable growth would require patience and discipline. At the time of the interview, Nike's stock had experienced significant pressure, reflecting investor concern about the pace and trajectory of the recovery.

Business Insider reported in December 2025 that Hill had made five significant changes during his first full year, including a shake-up of Nike's senior leadership and organizational structure, along with strategic shifts in how the company approached its brand, products, and market relationships.

Leadership Restructuring

A central element of Hill's turnaround plan involved restructuring Nike's senior leadership team. In December 2025, Nike announced a significant organizational overhaul under Hill's direction. Venkatesh Alagirisamy was named executive vice president and chief operating officer, while chief technology officer Muge Dogan and chief commercial officer Craig Williams departed the company. The changes were described as an effort to eliminate management layers and streamline decision-making within the organization, part of what Hill termed a "Win Now" strategy.

The leadership changes reflected Hill's belief that Nike's organizational structure had grown too complex and bureaucratic, slowing the company's ability to respond to market shifts and innovate at speed. By flattening the hierarchy and installing leaders aligned with his vision, Hill signaled his intent to accelerate the pace of change.

Puck reported in December 2025 that Hill, now more than a year into his second act at Nike, was working to maintain the approximately $100 billion sportswear company's market position amid intensifying competition and continued investor scrutiny. The publication described Hill's challenge as balancing the need for near-term financial performance with longer-term brand and product investments.

Stock Performance and Investor Activity

Nike's stock performance during Hill's first year as CEO reflected both the challenges facing the company and investor uncertainty about the timeline for recovery. Shares of Nike declined approximately 19 percent in 2025, a difficult year for the company in the market.

In a notable signal of confidence, Hill made significant insider purchases of Nike shares near the end of 2025. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who serves as a Nike board director, also purchased shares during the same period. CNBC reported that the insider buying helped push Nike shares higher, and was interpreted by market observers as a vote of confidence in the company's long-term prospects despite the challenging near-term environment.

Personal Life

Elliott Hill has maintained a relatively private personal life. Public records and media coverage have focused predominantly on his professional career at Nike. He has maintained a connection with his alma mater, Texas Christian University, and has been featured in the university's alumni and leadership communications.

Hill's identity is closely linked to the Nike brand and its culture. TCU and Nike communications have both emphasized his deep personal investment in sport and athletic culture, themes that have characterized his public persona throughout his career.

Recognition

Hill's appointment as Nike's CEO in 2024 generated substantial coverage in major business and financial publications, including The New York Times, CNBC, and the Financial Times. His return to the company after retirement was treated as a significant event in the global business press, given Nike's status as one of the world's most prominent consumer brands.

Texas Christian University has recognized Hill as one of its most notable alumni. The university featured him prominently in its "Lead On" campaign in 2025, a platform highlighting TCU graduates who have achieved distinction in their fields. The university described Hill's career trajectory — from TCU graduate to Nike intern to CEO of one of the world's most recognizable brands — as embodying the university's educational mission and values.

Hill's leadership decisions at Nike, including the senior leadership restructuring and his articulation of a "Win Now" strategy, received coverage from outlets including Business Insider, SportsPro, Puck, and CNBC, reflecting the high level of scrutiny and interest in the company's strategic direction under his leadership.

Legacy

As of early 2026, Elliott Hill's legacy as Nike's CEO is still being shaped. His return to the company after retirement placed him in the unusual position of being both a long-tenured insider and a fresh set of eyes on an organization that had undergone significant transformation during his absence. The narrative of his career — intern to CEO, retirement to recall — has itself become part of Nike's corporate storytelling, with the company and Hill's alma mater both citing his trajectory as evidence of the brand's foundational belief that greatness is accessible to all.

Hill's first year as CEO was defined by the tension between the scale of the turnaround challenge and the patience required to execute it. His acknowledgment that the recovery would "take a while" set expectations for a multi-year process, while his organizational changes and strategic reorientation signaled urgency. The insider stock purchases by Hill and board director Tim Cook at the close of 2025 underscored a long-term commitment to the company's trajectory, even amid short-term market headwinds.

Hill's tenure will ultimately be measured by whether he succeeds in restoring Nike's competitive position, brand relevance, and financial performance in a sportswear market that has grown more crowded and dynamic during the company's period of strategic flux. His career at Nike, spanning nearly four decades in total, represents one of the longest and most complete executive arcs in the history of the American sportswear industry.