This article is an interview with a reporter after the resignation of Nike founder of an interview with Knight finishing the article, from his point of view expounded in Nike's Knight of Nike founder and soul of leadership position, the charm of the Nike brand and Nike innovative thinking has penetrated inside the essence of the brand, Nike has become a personality of its sports culture. Air Griffey Maxes 1 Shoes Sale ,Knight resigned, the new CEO Bill Perez will become the world's most mysterious, the most contradictory, the most inspirational business leaders. This correspondent says: Some people warned me to interview Phil Knight (Phil Knight) jeopardy. Sometimes he can be eloquent, and sometimes he almost can not say a word. I am lucky. Interview in January this year the day was a gloomy morning, I was catching up Nike (Nike) founder is willing to open. Perhaps because he was a bit of nostalgia: he had just finished the last day of the CEO of Nike, and Nike is about 40 years ago, he started from scratch out together. This is his first, and only time so far to accept in-depth interviews; perhaps only because he wanted to speak. No one really knows Knight, they know they can only get those things. Worked in a 24-year Nike veteran Ting Keer? Hatfield (Tinker Hatfield) told me that sometimes he took the problem to find Knight, Knight simply did not know. (Ting Keer said this as he "may.") Whatever the reason, in my interview, Knight happily reflect on the ups and downs in his career, recalled the joy of creating company, search for successor process, he signed, or superior or inferior athletes, he managed, or good or bad employees. He haltingly spoke of his son's death last May. Knight to wear sunglasses wherever known, even in Beaverton, Oregon company building is no exception. This time, he took off the Nike sunglasses, sunglasses askew, but that the smaller rooms on the on the table, in his ready-to-reach places.
I only suffered a setback on a problem, the problem is the end of the interview, when asked. "Can I see your office?" I asked. Knight did not speak, just shook his head. I asked: "You do not want me to see?" He shook his head again. I'm not surprised. Employees are rarely even been to his office, let alone an outsider. Nike Air Griffey Shoes, A senior manager told me that he had not been to in recent years Knight's office. About that secret room, the only case we know that Knight has brought the Japanese style to it, but still very authentic Japanese style, you must take off your shoes before entering the world's most powerful shoe company controller's office . Even if you wear Nike shoes, can not go.
Knight is a "Fortune" 500 companies in the U.S., CEO of one of the most eccentric. Reflected the quality of his body, and he created the company to vigorously promote the opposite. His behavior people can not figure, but his company has good access to those net worth of millions of athletes; his introverted, like to attend major sports events, a student of the accounting profession, and his company is looking at is an excellent sales and designers; he is advertising pioneer, but in the advertising agency to introduce themselves by saying: "I am Phil? Knight, I do not believe in advertising."
However, despite these peculiarities (or perhaps precisely because of this), he created a coveted enough to make any CEO of the company. Report card to see it (in Nike, get everyone to play sports-related stuff for example): Four years ago, the company's sales revenue of 95 billion U.S. dollars in May this year the end of this fiscal year, it will be a $ 14 billion in sales and marketing machine design. Sold in the United States have branded sports shoes, 40% of Nike production; ranked second in the Reebok (Reebok), accounting for 13%. Recently, the company's share price reached 87 dollars, an increase of 75% two years ago. Market capitalization of 230 million, is the world's second-largest seller of sports shoes Adidas (Adidas) four times. If it was listed in 1980, when Nike with a hook to identify this strange investment $ 1,000, now, the investment plus reinvested dividends have been as high as $ 64,000. Knight himself owns 27% of the shares, worth $ 6.2 billion, making him into the world's richest people list. But now, Nike is at a critical juncture. To maintain the company's growth seems to have been very difficult, but at this time, Knight again to hand power to consumer products company SC Johnson (SC Johnson), the former CEO Bill? Perez (Bill Perez). U.S. high-end athletic footwear market has matured, Perez must find new markets. In addition, Perez know, had Knight twice for the company's regulatory power, Air Griffey Max 1, the results of the two companies in trouble, forcing him back. If you want to Knight Perez The permanent retirement (he does think so), he must come up with and comparable performance to Knight.