News is surfacing from a Nike employee meeting that took place on March 20, 2018, five days after the company announced the departure of Nike president Trevor Edwards. His exit was implied to be related to issues of “inclusivity, respect and empowerment,” as described by company CEO Mark Parker in an internal memo at the time he was let go. Edwards was widely viewed as next in line for the role of company CEO.
Held at the Tiger Woods Center at Nike, according to the WSJ, several executives executive told the gathered group of employees that the company needs to change its culture and create a better environment. The event was part of an effort encouraging male employees to be better allies for female co-workers.
The changes were in part put into motion by a group of female employees who came together in response to a series of company departures by female executives who were discouraged by the more rigorous challenges of moving up in the company as a woman. They drew up a survey to collect info about pay equity and inappropriate workplace behavior that eventually found its way to Parker’s desk.
The WSJ interviewed multiple current and former employees who said sexism has been an issue at the company for years. One source mentioned a 2002 visit to a strip club with human resource leaders viewed as “unhelpful or disrespectful” in response to their complaints.
Ex-Nike employee Loredana Ranza who was present during the 2002 trip pointed out that the only people who didn’t enter the strip club were the three women on the trip plus a male employee. Ranza, who left Nike in 2008, filed a lawsuit alleging gender and age discrimination in 2016, a suit currently pending in the Netherlands, the location of the brand’s European headquarters.
Hostile behavior also included attacks on ex-employees, include ex-Nike designer Marc Dolce who left the brand to work for Adidas. When Dolce published an image of a new Adidas design on Instagram, Nike vice presidents Brian Zappitello and Dirk-Jan van Hameren left what the WSJ describes as “vulgar, disparaging comments” on the post.
In the screen capture of Dolce’s post (below) originally reported on by NiceKicks in April 2016, Zappitello wrote “#douchebag” while van Hameren added, “Always a follower, never a lead #motherfaker”
Didn’t realize 2 Nike VPs called Marc Dolce a douchebag. Doesn’t seem like they were ever disciplined either. https://t.co/v3TIB0t7A4 pic.twitter.com/yOLT6K0HZF
— sockjig (@sockjig) March 31, 2018
