Nikes taps former Twitter exec for DE&I chief role

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Mar 9, 2023

U.S. sportswear giant Nike Inc. has appointed James Loduca to the role of chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. Loduca is the fourth person to fill the role since 2020.

"​Excited to be joining Nike as its new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer," said Loduca via LinkedIn.

"In an increasingly polarized time, sport is one of the few things that still brings us together. Nike believes that if you have a body, you are an athlete– and I’m thrilled to be joining the team and help lead efforts to create a level playing field where everyone can win."

Loduca joins Nike from Twitter, where he most recent served as the VP of inclusion diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) at the U.S. tech giant. 

He replaces Nike’s former DEI chief Jarvis Sam, who left the company in late November, just six months into his role. Prior to Sam, Felicia Mayo served as the company’s chief talent, diversity and culture officer for two years until August 2022, after Kellie Leonard was named Nike’s first head of diversity in 2018 and served in the role until 2020.

This week, Nike also announced on Wednesday several senior leadership changes including a new vice president and general manager of women’s, as the Portland, Oregon-based company looks to strengthen leadership its departments, as part of its 'Consumer Direct Acceleration' (CDA) plan, first announced in 2020, as a strategy to unlock long-term growth and profitability.