Transparency and Accountability in Nike's Diversity Initiatives

My name is Jaylen Spann and I am a Research and Development Associate at Whistle Stop Capital. I’m speaking on behalf of the non-profit advocacy organization As You Sow. We formally move Proposal #7 which asks Nike to report on the effectiveness of its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Transparency and accountability in Nike’s diversity initiatives isn’t something that’s just good for its marketing. It’s something that supports a well-run company. Reports from McKinsey, Credit Suisse, and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business have all linked diversity and inclusion to corporate outperformance. Benefits of diverse teams include: access to top talent, a better understanding of consumer preferences, a stronger mix of leadership skills, and improved risk management, among others.

Nike has been harmed by diversity management missteps. In 2018, a series of allegations of gender discrimination led to a number of Nike’s executives leaving the company. Allegations included that women were marginalized in meetings, excluded from crucial decisions, and feared repercussions from speaking up. The company also infamously broke with Allyson Felix, the most decorated American track and field Olympian, when it sought to reduce her compensation while she was pregnant.

A company with advertising campaigns focused on pregnant women must also provide a workplace that pregnant, and all women, can thrive in. If John Donahoe rightly says “Our brand would not be what it is today without the powerful contributions of Black athletes and Black culture” Nike should also share at what rate its Black employees are retained and promoted relative to total workforce. That the company has been unwilling to do so is deeply concerning.

I encourage Nike to step forward and share honestly the effectiveness of its diversity programs. Demonstrating, that even in the face of imperfection, that it is truly committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Thank you.