Under Armour’s Top Marketing Executive Is Headed to Nike, Sources Say
Adrienne Lofton will reportedly join the footwear giant
The woman who spent the past eight-plus months overseeing Under Armour’s global marketing efforts has accepted a position with Nike, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Earlier today, Adweek broke the news that svp, global head of brand management Adrienne Lofton had resigned after approximately nine years and two stints with the apparel company.
The parties in question subsequently stated that she left for an executive-level job at Under Armour’s chief rival in the athletic wear wars.
Spokespeople for Nike and Under Armour have not responded to requests for comment on this story. Lofton did not respond to social media queries regarding her new role.
The news comes several months after Nike purged two top marketing executives amid a controversy over repeated complaints about inappropriate behavior in the workplace.
In March, CEO Mark Parker issued an internal memo expressing his concern over “reports of behavior occurring within our organization that do not reflect our core values of inclusivity, respect and empowerment.” Citing “strong and courageous employees” who had come forward, he wrote that the company would launch “a comprehensive review of our HR systems and practices along with elevating our complaint process for matter of respect issues.”
The affected leaders included vp Jayme Martin and brand president Trevor Edwards, a 25-year veteran who many saw as a potential successor to Parker.
A series of subsequent The Wall Street Journal reports looked into a “boys club” at Nike that often involved “demeaning and condescending” behavior toward women. They also reported that several female employees had circulated an informal survey about pay inequality, gender imbalances and misbehavior by high-ranking men and that longtime human resources director David Ayre faced two investigations after employees claimed that he facilitated a hostile work environment. He officially retired last summer.
His successor, Monique Matheson, acknowledged in an internal memo acquired by the Journal that Nike had failed to properly promote women and minorities.
According to a party close to the business, Lofton will be unable to officially begin working at Nike for approximately one year thanks to a non-compete clause in the contract she signed with Under Armour. The same source said Lofton left the latter company due to a perceived lack of upward mobility.
