Elliott Hill joined Nike as in intern in 1988 and the internship did not come easy as he literally “begged” to be hired to the powers that be at the time. Since that day, Hill has served Nike in various positions, helping the company become one of the world’s most iconic sports brands.
About three decades ago, when Elliott Hill, then a young graduate at the time, walked into the Nike headquarters for his first day at the job as an intern, its hard to fathom that he or anyone else for that matter would have imagined at the time that Hill would one day climb to the top of the corporate ladder and become the CEO of the sporting goods giant, 32 years later.
From intern to CEO- The inspiring journey of Elliott Hill
Elliott Hill joined Nike as in intern in 1988 and the internship did not come easy as he literally “begged” to be hired to the powers that be at the time. Since that day, Hill has served Nike in various positions, helping the company become one of the most iconic sports brands in the world alongside rivals Adidas, Puma, and others.
Hill, who has previously served as Director of Team Sports, and then the President of Geographies and Sales in 2013 at Nike, is now set to become lead the company as it CEO, a position he will take over from John Donahoe, on October 14.
The announcement of Elliott Hill being named as the next CEO of Nike also brought to light his remarkable story which highlighted his struggles and sheer dedication. Hill’s story went viral on social media platforms after influencer Joe Pompliano shared his LinkedIn profile on X.
Nike’s new CEO may have the best LinkedIn profile ever — 32 years with the same company, from intern to CEO! pic.twitter.com/jC431SCnW6
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 20, 2024
Pompliano’s post, which captured Hill’s stunning rise from an intern to CEO, has gone viral social media, garnering over 2 million views. Many users have termed Hill’s LinkedIn profile as “the best ever”, while others have compared his story to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Elliott Hill education, early career
Elliott Hill graduated from the Ohio University in 1988, and started lobbying a Nike representative for an internship opportunity at the company after the rep had spoken at Hill’s sports marketing class.
“I bothered him for six months until he finally hired me. I told him ‘everybody in my class has a job except me,” Hill revealed during a podcast in December 2023.
Hill worked as an intern for two years and later moved to sales. A decade later, Hill was appointed Director, Team Sports Division at Nike in 1998.
Elliott Hill salary
Although Elliott Hill retired as Nike’s President, Consumer & Marketplace in 2020, the company is bringing him back as CEO, offering him a massive $27 million package which includes $7 million in equity and cash awards to compensate for earnings he’s forfeiting to return to Nike, Fortune reported.
Hill is also eligible for $20 million in potential cash and stock awards. His cash bonus, along with a long-term equity incentive valued at $15.5 million, is contingent on performance metrics, it said.
“In my previous role at Nike as President – Consumer and Marketplace, I helped grow Nike, Inc. to $39 billion, managing brands like Jordan and overseeing all four global geographies,” Nike’s new CEO stated proudly on his LinkedIn profile.
(With inputs from agencies)