Ramprasad asked Hill at the all-hands meeting which move that Nike made surprised him the most in the time that he was away from the company. Hill answered praising Nike’s coup in signing Germany’s national soccer team away from Adidas, Nike’s German rival that has sponsored Germany’s kits for over 70 years.

Nike veteran Elliott Hill is no stranger to a Monday morning at the $122 billion sportswear giant. The only difference is this week, he’s leading the company. Hill already has a pile of issues in his metaphorical in-tray: new product launches,

Hill, who served in several leadership roles before retiring from the Swoosh in 2020, is facing high expectations to turn around the struggling sportswear maker.