Nike Chairman Plans To Step Down Next Year, Recommends Mark Parker As Successor

(RTTNews) - Nike Inc (NKE) on Tuesday said Phil Knight plans to step down as chairman of the company sometime in 2016.

Knight has informed the Nike board of his recommendation to have Mark Parker, the company's chief executive officer, succeed him.

Knight, who founded Nike, said he will continue to be actively involved with the company well beyond the time he steps aside as chairman.

Knight said, "I have long felt a great responsibility to provide clarity and certainty for the long-term governance and leadership of Nike and for my ultimate transition as chairman... I believe Mark is the best choice to succeed me."

Nike also announced the appointment of Travis Knight to its board, effective immediately. Knight is CEO of the animation studio Laika LLC.

Phil Knight also said he has created a limited liability company called Swoosh LLC to hold the majority of his shares of Nike Class A common stock; Knight has contributed 128.5 million Nike shares to the entity representing about 15 percent of the combined total outstanding shares of Nike Class A and Class B stock.

Swoosh will have a governance structure to make prudent decisions with respect to the ongoing voting and management of those shares, Knight said, adding he believes this structure will maintain Nike's strong corporate governance.

Knight has formed a board of directors of Swoosh to serve as its governing body, which will determine how the Class A shares are voted and managed.

The Swoosh board of Directors will initially have four members, who exercise five votes. Of the five votes assigned to the board of Swoosh, two will initially be held by Knight, and the other three will be held by CEO Mark Parker; Alan Graf, Jr., CFO of FedEx Corp and a Nike director; and John Donahoe II, CEO of eBay Inc and a Nike director.

Nike closed Tuesday at $108.02, up $0.35 or 0.33%, on the NYSE.