Nike talent, diversity and culture chief to leave

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
May 19, 2022

Nike is streamlining its diversity and inclusion management function, with the news that Felicia Mayo, the U.S. sportswear giant's chief talent, diversity and culture officer, will reportedly exit her post this July.

According to an internal memo obtained by the Financial Times, Mayo, who has held the chief diversity role since July 2020, will exit the company this summer. 

Mayo first joined Nike in 2019, after serving as VP and head of diversity at carmaker Tesla. ​Her appointment to head of diversity one year later replaced Kellie Leonard, Nike’s first head of diversity, who also held the role for two years.

In the memo released on Wednesday, chief human resources officer Monique Matheson thanked Mayo for her “impact and progress" at Nike and said Jarvis Sam, Nike's ​VP of diversity, equity and inclusion since July 2020, will take on the newly created title of chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

“We’re integrating the role of our DE&I leader into the creation and execution of our people strategy,” Matheson wrote in the email.

Mayo and Nike did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the departure.

The reshuffle comes as the Portland, Oregon-based Nike continues to raise its proportion of racial and ethnic minorities at the director level. Over the past fiscal year, it has raised its diversity by more than 4 percentage points to more than 30 per cent, according to a company report published in March. As of fiscal 2019, the proportion of non-white vice-presidents was 21 per cent, it said.