Nike announced on Friday that Andy Caine will be its new chief innovation officer and take on the position beginning April 12.
Caine, who has spent more than 20 years with the brand and was most recently the creative director for the company’s sportswear division, will take over for Tony Bignell, who will depart after 30 years with the sportswear maker.
In an internal memo shared Phil McCartney, Nike’s chief innovation, design and product officer, said that Bignell will pursue his creative and philanthropic passions in his next chapter.” Bignell had a major hand in helping craft notable products like the Shox, Next%, VaporMax React and Joyride but also worked on the Breaking2 project, which sought to push past the two-hour barrier in the marathon.
“This note cannot fully do justice to Tony’s legacy and there will be other moments to recognize that more fully,” McCartney said.
Meanwhile, Caine steps in after leading key footwear releases like the Air VaporMax, Air Liquid Max and Air Max 1000.
“Andy brings a rare mix of athlete obsession, creative ambition and product conviction,” McCartney said in his memo. “He is known for his curiosity, his high standards and his ability to develop strong talent around him. He pushes for better, and he brings others with him.”
Caine will now oversee the next wave of groundbreaking ideas across the company’s sports, products and platforms in what Nike said is his ability to “focus on both current demands and future possibilities.”
The move is yet another in a series of changes the sportswear giant has made in recent months as part of CEO Elliott Hill’s ongoing Win Now strategy that is aimed at an accelerated turnaround largely focused on performance sports, a refreshed product line and fortifying relationships with wholesalers.
In January, the company named new leaders of its global regions with César Garcia now overseeing Europe, the Middle East and Africa while Cathy Sparks was assigned to China, a key region where the brand has struggled.
Both were announced just weeks after Nike cut its chief technology officer and chief commercial officer roles in December and shifted its direct-to-consumer duties to chief finance officer Matt Friend with reducing layers of management also being one of Hill’s priorities.
