Schools
The Man Behind the Nike Brand at St. Luke's School
St. Luke's Center for Leadership connected students with former Nike Brand President Charlie Denson.
Charlie Denson thought he'd spend a couple of years working at the small sneaker chain in Oregon, and then he'd "find a real job, at a real company." Two years turned into 35 and that little chain called Nike grew into the world's most famous athletic brand. Denson shared his incredible journey from Assistant Store Manager to Nike Brand President with St. Luke's students as part of the Center for Leadership Lunch & Lead series.
St. Luke's parent and trustee Chris Wearing introduced Denson and his legacy of tying Nike to high-profile athletes. Denson and his team created unforgettable branding campaigns featuring athletes including: Bo Jackson, John McEnroe, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Maria Sharapova, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods.
Among many questions fielded by Denson during Lunch & Lead were two standouts: 1) Which athlete had the biggest impact on Nike? 2) How did the swoosh become synonymous with Nike?
Watch Denson's responses in a video interview on St. Luke's Leading Voices blog.
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St. Luke's is a secular private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5-12. St. Luke's mission is an exceptional education that inspires a deep love of learning, a strong moral compass, the commitment to serve, and the confidence to lead. St. Luke's Center for Leadership advances our mission by helping students develop exceptional leadership ability. Visit today.
