There's rightly been quite a bit of discussion about senior leadership changes lately. It seems a lot of the shifts in Design have gone unnoticed, despite some significant changes. What’s everyone’s view on ML taking over from JH? Feels like we're all running around more than usual.
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All of Senior Design Leadership is absolutely out of touch- it should be enforced that they all sit in a product review - silent! They have no idea on the role of different categories, their product, the consumer and or how design is squashed by conservative middle aged talentless middle management
Just let generative AI design everything. Save money in the long run. That is what the CTO wants.
I’m a ML stan - very talented design thinker. He does come from a time within Nike when you were more expendable. From the “get it done or I’ll find someone else who will” era.
I really hope that his senior leaders let him pull in more true creative thinkers like him, if what we’re reading in the other comment about JH is true.
And how about JM in Jordan? Give that a year before it implodes
Nike Design has need senior leadership changes for almost a decade. JH as Senior VP of Design promoted his friends to VP positions that weren’t proven design talents, while creating seasonal coffee table books that he presented as his own contribution to the company. Quality design talent was micromanaged under JH’s direction to the point that many left Nike, taking leadership roles at competing companies with very successful outcomes.
ML is a very talented designer, but his leadership skills as Global Design VP are untested. The damage that has been done by JH will be very difficult to repair and most likely ML was given a very small window to time to turn things around.
As the story continues JH is now VP of Product Innovation, how do you think that’s going to turn out?
I am nowhere near the design teams, so I can’t answer the question, but you should know that everyone is running around more than usual… this is the usual reorg experience. Let’s just hope it’s the right kind of reorg change.