Nike 2005 Annual Report Download - page 8

The Business
Nike, Inc. Annual Report 2005
It was the 15th stage of the
2003 Tour de France. I was in
the US Postal car, following the
riders, with the team coach,
Johan Bruyneel. It was hot.
Lance was fi ghting a virus and
he had already avoided a fatal
crash that knocked out one
of the pre-race favorites. And,
suddenly, at one of the steepest climbs of the Alps, Lance went down. But
he got up, proceeded to dig in and managed to gain strength to not only
win the stage, but the Tour. To be able to see him pull away—with tenacity,
focus, and the drive to do everything he could to win—was amazing.
Like Lance, Nike is able to turn adversity, pressure and competition into
energy and opportunity. It is a strength for any athlete, team or business.
We are in a competitive market. There are always people trying to get
pieces of what we do and do it better. And the ability to turn that pressure
and competition into the impetus to do our best, as individuals and as
a team, is a huge part of Nike. We dig in, we come together, adapt and
change to be more competitive . . . always focused on serving the athlete.
It’s when we are at our best.
I was an American, at a foreign
sporting event, in a foreign
country. It was the semifi nal
match of the 1998 World
Cup and I sat with the Dutch
National Federation as they
played Argentina. The match
was tied with about two
minutes left in the game.
Frank De Boer made a brilliant steal and fi red the ball for what seemed
like the entire length of the fi eld. Dennis Bergkamp brought it down from
mid-air. It bounced once, he shot and scored the winning goal that
launched Holland into the semifinals against Brasil. It was considered
one of the top goals ever scored in a World Cup game. Everyone went
crazy. It was incredible.
At that moment, I was able to see what sport does to bring the world
together, not only to transcend social, political and economic barriers, but
to transcend all natural barriers. Sport is a global language. And as a
company, we embody sport—intense, focused, competitive, always striving
to be the best, breaking through old barriers, and setting new records.
It doesn’t get any richer than that.
As 26-year veterans with the company, Nike Brand Co-Presidents Mark Parker and
Charlie Denson know how to run a successful business, overseeing nearly 90% of
Nike, Inc.’s total revenue. In nearly three decades, they’ve not only seen Nike, Inc.’s
annual revenues grow from $149 million to nearly $14 billion, they’ve witnessed
many pivotal events in sports history. So we asked them to describe one moment
that embodies everything we do in business. One moment that represents our
inspiration, our obsession with sport, and why we continue to evolve as a company.
Mark ParkerMark Parker
President, Nike Brand
Charlie Denson Charlie Denson
President, Nike Brand