Nike on Friday announced that Brand President CHARLIE DENSON will retire in January '14. He has held the position since '06. Nike also announced strategic changes in its exec management team. Effective July 1, Exec VP/Global Brand & Category Management TREVOR EDWARDS will become the new Nike Brand President leading all category and geographic business units. In addition, Exec VP/Merchandising & Product ERIC SPRUNK will become COO; President of Direct-to-Consumer JEANNE JACKSON will become President of Product & Merchandising; and President of New Business Development Dr. THOMAS CLARKE will become President of Innovation. All four will report directly to Nike President & CEO MARK PARKER (Nike). Edward Jones Senior Consumer Analyst BRIAN YARBROUGH said Edwards has "some very big shoes to fill, but they have a very strong, deep management team." BLOOMBERG NEWS' Townsend & Coleman-Lochner note Denson started at Nike in '79 as "an assistant manager of one of its original stores." From there, he "worked his way up in the sales department" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 6/21).
