BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 2009-- NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) today announced that Jim Allaker, currently VP/GM of Nike UK & Ireland, will become the new CEO and President of Umbro. He will be succeeded as GM of the Nike UK & Ireland organisation by Marc Van Pappelendam, who most recently was the VP/GM of Nike Eastern and Central Europe, based in Hilversum, the Netherlands.

Throughout his 21-year Nike career, Allaker has held various positions in finance and operations at Nike world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon and at the Nike European headquarters. He has been VP/GM of the UK & Ireland since 2006 and his role prior to that was VP of Finance, Planning and Operations for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. In his new role at Umbro, Allaker replaces Matthew Cook, who has left the company to pursue other opportunities.

“Jim has had great success in leading the Nike UK & Ireland business, important markets for Umbro. He also has a wealth of experience in the international sporting goods industry,” said Eunan McLaughlin, President of the Nike Affiliates. “Umbro has a tremendous opportunity for growth and I believe with Jim’s leadership, we will continue to grow the brand and connect with football fans worldwide.”

Marc van Pappelendam, who succeeds Allaker as the VP/GM of Nike UK & Ireland, moves from his role as VP/GM of the Central/Eastern Europe region. Previous to that he was the VP of Commerce for the former Europe, Middle East and Africa region. A native of Holland, Van Pappelendam has also been GM of Nike’s Northern Europe sub-region.

“Marc is a proven leader who will drive continued growth for the UK & Ireland market,” said Gary DeStefano, President of Global Operations for Nike. “The UK market is crucial as we increase focus on core category business areas and create stronger consumer connections.”

About NIKE, Inc.

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more information, NIKE’s earnings releases and other financial information are available on the Internet at www.nikebiz.com/investors.

Umbro, Ltd.

Umbro, Ltd., a subsidiary of NIKE, Inc., is the original United Kingdom based football brand that invented sportswear. Founded 85 years ago, today the company combines its heritage in sports tailoring with modern football insight to create groundbreaking and iconic football apparel, footwear and equipment that blend performance and style. For further information about Umbro visit www.umbro.com

For more information, including multi-media materials, please visit: www.nikemedia.com.

Source: NIKE, Inc.

NIKE, Inc.
Charlie Brooks, Nike Western Europe Comms Director
Tel: +44 (0)20 7578 0500
Charlie.brooks@nike.com
or
Umbro, Ltd.
Catherine Rees, Umbro Head of Communications
Tel: +44 (0161) 492 2005
Catherine_rees@umbro.co.uk