20 Feb Nike names Anthony Watson chief information officer
Nike announced Tuesday that Anthony Watson will be its new chief information officer, overseeing the company’s the information technology.
Watson, 38, joins Nike from Barclays Bank, PLC, where he has been their London-based managing director and CIO for Europe and the Middle East, as well as for global operations since 2009. He was also the chair of Barclays’ Europe, Middle East, retail and business banking operating committee and co-chair of Barclays’ global diversity and inclusion council.
Prior to Barclays, Watson was senior vice president and global head of technology services for Wells Fargo, where he also served as Wells Fargo Bank International board member. He has also held senior roles at CitiGroup, Unisys Corporation, Microsoft and First-e Bancorp, Europe’s first internet bank.
“We look forward to Anthony joining our team and bringing his deep knowledge, expertise and vision to lead Nike’s overall technology strategy,” said Eric Sprunk, Nike’s chief operating officer. “We are confident he can deliver progressive and innovative technology solutions and help us to continue to drive sustainable, profitable growth.”
Watson, with an anticipated mid-April start date, will report to Sprunk.
Watson replaces Roland Paanakker, who retired in November after a more than two-decade Nike career starting in 1995 in The Netherlands, the company’s regional headquarters in Europe, as a senior director of information technology.
— Allan Brettman