Nike has a new DEI lead.
Courtesy Nike
Loduca succeeds Jarvis Sam, who left the company in November.
He previously worked as Twitter’s vice president of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.
Loduca is Nike’s fourth head of diversity efforts since 2020.
Nike on Tuesday announced James Loduca as the company’s next chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. He most recently worked at Twitter as vice president of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.
Loduca succeeds Jarvis Sam, who departed Nike in November.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) continue to be top priorities for Nike, Inc.,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Monique Matheson, in an email to employees announcing Loduca’s hiring. “Our vision is to be as bold and innovative in these areas as we are across all parts of the company.”
Nike didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on his hire. Loduca tweeted Tuesday morning about his new position.
—James Loduca (he/him/él) () March 7, 2023
In an email sent to employees and viewed by Insider, Nike credited Loduca with designing and scaling Twitter’s diversity efforts and transforming it into a recognized leader. On his LinkedIn bio, Loduca identifies as “one of the few openly LGBTQ+ Latinx executives in the field.”
“For more than 25 years, James has dedicated his career to addressing systemic inequality, uplifting underrepresented people and communities, and accelerating change,” Matheson wrote in the email to Nike employees.
In addition to his work for Twitter, Loduca also chaired the San Francisco Human Rights Commission for two years, according to his LinkedIn bio.
Diversity and inclusion remain top priorities for Nike. Six months after becoming CEO in January 2020, John Donahoe wrote to employees that the company must “get our own house in order,” in regards to equity and inclusion.
The company’s failings to address internal inequities have made repeated headlines in recent years, including 2018 reports about an alleged “boys-club culture” in the The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Current and former Nike employees in 2020 shared experiences with racism at the company on social media. The company also continues to defend itself in a sweeping lawsuit about gender discrimination and sexual harassment.
Loduca will be Nike’s fourth top diversity executive since 2020.
Sam succeeded Felicia Mayo, who left the company in June 2020 after two years as chief talent, diversity and culture officer. Mayo succeeded Kellie Leonard, who stepped down as chief diversity …read more
Source:: Business Insider