Remote work to blame for Nike's innovation slowdown, says CEO

Nike CEO John Donahoe attributes the recent slowdown in the company's innovation to the challenges presented by remote work. During a period when Nike employees and operations faced significant disruptions due to the pandemic, including remote work protocols and factory closures, innovation particularly in developing new disruptive footwear stalled. Donahoe explained that the nature of such innovation projects struggled to adapt to virtual environments like Zoom. However, with staff returning to in-person work over the past 18 months, Donahoe reports that Nike's innovation pipeline is robust once again, emphasizing a focused effort to rebuild both their disruptive and iterative innovation streams.

Opens on Human Resource Director Magazine