Page 1 – COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 in the CIRCUIT COURT of the STATE of O

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Page 1 – COMPLAINT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 in the CIRCUIT COURT of the STATE of O 8/31/2018 4:17 PM 18CV38553 1 2 3 4 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON 5 FOR THE COUNTY OF MULTNOMAH 6 SHIVA Y. STEIN, ALISON SHERMAN, 7 and LISA UDINE, derivatively on behalf of Case No. NIKE, INC. 8 9 Plaintiffs, COMPLAINT 10 v. (Derivative Action, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Waste of Corporate 11 PHILIP H. KNIGHT; JOHN G. Assets, Unjust Enrichment) CONNORS; ELIZABETH J. COMSTOCK; 12 TIMOTHY D. COOK; JOHN J. Amount of claim: $10,000,000 13 DONAHOE II, ALAN B. GRAF, JR.; PETER B. HENRY; DR. JOHN C. Filing fee $1,111.00 per ORS 14 LECHLEITER; MARK G. PARKER; 21.160(1)(e) MICHELLE A. PELUSO; JONATHAN A. 15 RODGERS; JOHN R. THOMPSON, JR.; JURY TRIAL DEMANDED TRAVIS A. KNIGHT; and TREVOR A. 16 EDWARDS, Not Subject to Mandatory Arbitration 17 Defendants, 18 -and- 19 NIKE, INC. an Oregon Corporation, 20 21 Nominal Defendant. 22 23 24 25 26 MCGAUGHEY ╫ ERICKSON 65 SW YAMHILL ST., SUITE 200 PORTLAND, OREGON 97204 Page 1 – COMPLAINT TELEPHONE (503) 223-7555 • FAX (503) 525-4833 E-MAIL: [email protected] 1 NATURE OF THE ACTION ......................................................................................................... 4 2 JURISDICTION AND VENUE ..................................................................................................... 7 PARTIES ........................................................................................................................................ 8 3 A. Plaintiffs .................................................................................................................. 8 4 B. Nominal Defendant ................................................................................................. 9 5 C. Individual Defendants ............................................................................................. 9 6 FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS ....................................................................................................... 17 7 A. NIKE’s Ability to Maintain a Positive Brand Image and Reputation is Key 8 to Its Continued Success, Especially in Its Fast Growing Women’s Brand ......... 17 9 B. NIKE’s Pervasive Culture of Sexual Harassment, Gender Discrimination, Gender Bias, and Hostility .................................................................................... 18 10 C. Despite Maintaining a Dedicated HR Department, Clear Cases of Sexual 11 Harassment Occurred with Impunity .................................................................... 22 12 D. NIKE’s HR Department’s Acquiescence to the Sexual Harassment Triggered the Departure of Several Talented Female Employees ........................ 25 13 E. Public Scandal Exposing Widespread Sexual Harassment Triggers a 14 Belated and Limited Wave of Reforms at NIKE .................................................. 26 15 .................................. 31 16 17 ........... 31 18 ................................................. 33 19 20 ................................................... 35 21 DUTIES OF DIRECTOR DEFENDANTS .................................................................................. 38 A. The Fiduciary Duties of the Director Defendants ................................................. 38 22 B. NIKE’s Corporate Governance Principles and Its Code of Business Conduct 23 Impose Additional Responsibilities on Certain Director Defendants ................... 39 24 C. NIKE’s Board Committee Charters Impose Additional Duties on Director Defendants ............................................................................................................ 41 25 1. Additional Fiduciary Duties of the Audit & Finance Committee 26 Members ................................................................................................... 42 2. Additional Fiduciary Duties of the Compensation Committee Members ................................................................................................... 44 MCGAUGHEY ╫ ERICKSON 65 SW YAMHILL ST., SUITE 200 PORTLAND, OREGON 97204 TELEPHONE (503) 223-7555 • FAX (503) 525-4833 Page 2 – COMPLAINT E-MAIL: [email protected] 1 3. Additional Fiduciary Duties of the Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Governance Committee Members ................................. 46 2 4. Additional Fiduciary Duties of the Executive Committee Members........ 48 3 DAMAGES TO THE COMPANY ............................................................................................... 48 4 DERIVATIVE ALLEGATIONS.................................................................................................. 49 5 DEMAND FUTILITY ALLEGATIONS ..................................................................................... 50 6 A. Demand on Defendants Thompson, Cook, and Parker is Futile Due to Their Insider Sales ................................................................................................ 53 7 B. Demand on Defendants Connors, Donohoe II, Graf, Jr., and Peluso is 8 Futile for Additional Reasons ............................................................................... 54 9 C. Demand on Defendants Cook, Comstock, Rodgers, and Dr. Lechleiter is Futile for Additional Reasons ........................................................................... 55 10 D. Demand on Defendants Henry, Dr. Lechleiter, Peluso, Rodgers, and 11 Thompson is Futile for Additional Reasons ......................................................... 56 12 E. Demand on Defendants Travis Knight, Parker, and Thompson is Futile for Additional Reasons ......................................................................................... 58 13 F. Demand on Defendants Comstock, Connors, Cook, Donahoe II, Graf, Jr., 14 Henry, Travis Knight, Lechleiter, Parker, Peluso, Rodgers, and Thompson and Nondefendant Benko is Futile for Additional Reasons .................................. 59 15 CAUSES OF ACTION ................................................................................................................. 60 16 COUNT I Derivatively Against Director Defendants for Breach of Fiduciary Duties ................ 60 17 COUNT II Against the Director Defendants for Waste of Corporate Assets ............................... 61 18 COUNT III Against Edwards for Unjust Enrichment .................................................................. 62 PRAYER FOR RELIEF ............................................................................................................... 63 19 JURY DEMAND .......................................................................................................................... 63 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 MCGAUGHEY ╫ ERICKSON 65 SW YAMHILL ST., SUITE 200 PORTLAND, OREGON 97204 TELEPHONE (503) 223-7555 • FAX (503) 525-4833 Page 3 – COMPLAINT E-MAIL: [email protected] 1 Plaintiffs Shiva Y. Stein (“Plaintiff Stein”), Alison Sherman (“Plaintiff Sherman”), and 2 Lisa Udine (“Plaintiff Udine, together with Plaintiff Stein and Plaintiff Sherman, “Plaintiffs”), 3 derivatively on behalf of NIKE, Inc. (“NIKE” or the “Company”), bring the following Shareholder 4 Derivative Complaint (the “Complaint”) pursuant to ORS 60.261 against the Company’s board of 5 directors (the “Board”), and former NIKE Brand President Trevor Edwards (“Edwards”), for 6 breaches of fiduciary duty, corporate waste, as well as for unjust enrichment against Edwards. 7 Except for allegations specifically pertaining to Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs’ own acts, the allegations 8 in the Complaint are based upon information and belief, which include but are not limited to: (i) 9 documents and other information obtained from the Company pursuant to ORS 60.774 (the “Books 10 and Records Production”); (ii) the Company’s public filings with the United States Securities and 11 Exchange Commission (the “SEC”); (iii) the initial complaint filed in the class action lawsuit, 12 titled Cahill et al. v. Nike, Inc., No. 3:18-cv-01477-PK (D. Or.) on August 9, 2018 (the “Wage 13 Class Action”); (iv) media reports; and (v) other public sources. 14 NATURE OF THE ACTION 15 1. 16 This case arises from NIKE’s systematic “boys’ club” culture, which resulted in the 17 bullying, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination of the Company’s female employees. 18 NIKE’s Board and numerous Company officers engaged in, facilitated, and knowingly ignored the 19 hostile work environment that has now harmed, and threatens to further tarnish and impair the 20 Company’s financial position, as well as its reputation and goodwill, which NIKE’s success is 21 built upon. 22 2. 23 NIKE’s troubles first came to light on April 28, 2018, when The New York Times published 24 an explosive article detailing a systematic and widespread culture of sexual harassment, gender 25 discrimination, and bias against women at NIKE that implicated a number of senior executives. 26 The article, based on interviews with over 50 current and former employees, recounted serious Page 4 – COMPLAINT MCGAUGHEY ╫ ERICKSON 65 SW YAMHILL ST., SUITE 200 PORTLAND, OREGON 97204 TELEPHONE (503) 223-7555 • FAX (503) 525-4833 E-MAIL: [email protected] 1 allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination by NIKE’s senior management. The 2 New York Times article, however, was just the first leak in the dam. Recent complaints that have 3 surfaced about the Company explain that for years, NIKE has fostered a “boys club” culture where 4 women were excluded from promotions and leadership opportunities. One of the club’s 5 ringleaders was Edwards, a powerful NIKE executive, who was in charge of the NIKE Brand and 6 has been unjustly enriched by tens
Recommended publications
  • Foundations, City at Brink of Plan to Shrink Detroit
    20100125-NEWS--0001-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 1/22/2010 6:21 PM Page 1 ® www.crainsdetroit.com Vol. 26, No. 4 JANUARY 25 – 31, 2010 $2 a copy; $59 a year ©Entire contents copyright 2010 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved Page 3 Saudis seek Sales of small businesses down – are only the strong Davidson for sale? contract with Study calls on biz to help prevent diseases, cut costs Brighton Supreme Court ruling clears has her way for corporate, nonprofit Hospital stands on candidates BY JAY GREENE CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Inside St. John Health System’s Brighton Hospital has signed a letter of in- Firm’s pitch to governments: tent to begin discussions on a long- reasons term management contract with a Privatize building Saudi Arabian company that is building a 250-bed addiction treat- departments, Page 6 ment hospital in Riyadh. But estate tax isn’t After a nine-month internation- al search, Brighton Hospital was Finance Extra DUANE BURLESON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Owner Karen Davidson watches the Detroit Pistons chosen over other more famous one of them, rep says on Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. and larger addiction treatment ‘Our focus was on survival’: providers in Europe and the U.S. Bailouts, credit crunch because of its expertise, high suc- BY BILL SHEA Michael Layne of Farmington to shield her and the two adult cess rate, clinical care model and torpedo 2009 M&A, Page 11. CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Hills PR and marketing agency children named in the estate, 12-step treatment approach, said Marx Layne & Co., said on Friday there’s eventually a tax bill to Mohammed Al-Turaiki, CEO of Karen Davidson’s decision to that she doesn’t pay — potentially to the tune of Saudi Care for Rehabilitation and Crain’s List possibly sell the Detroit Pistons, owe any.
    [Show full text]
  • The Force Behind the Nike Empire
    The Force Behind the Nike Empire by Jackie Krentzman Phil Knight built a successful business As 20-year-old Stanford golfer by selling shoes. He Tiger Woods fought his way to an became a billionaire unprecedented third U.S. Amateur by selling dreams. title last summer, Nike founder Phil Knight shadowed him from hole to hole, appraising the young phenom's every smile the way a golf coach would his swing. "I hope we sign him," Knight said at the time. "If not, I hope he goes to medical school." Three days later, KNIGHT WATCH: The Woods called a news conference, CEO surveys his Beaverton, stepped before the TV cameras Ore., "campus." and announced that he was quitting college to join the Robbie McLaren Professional Golf Association Tour. "Well," he said with a big grin, "I guess it's 'Hello, world,' huh?" An adoring sports media lapped up the young man's winning soundbite. Then, just 24 hours later, the other shoe dropped. In a barrage of new TV spots and full-page newspaper ads, Nike unveiled its latest pitchman: pro golfer Tiger Woods. The Nike- crafted tag line on the ads? "Hello, World." Woods may be the company's current star, but its controversial CEO and founder is the real story. Nike signed Woods to a five- year endorsement deal, reportedly worth more than $40 million, and has thrown its considerable weight behind him. The company is packaging the young golfer--who is part African American, part Chinese, part American Indian, part Thai and part white--as the Jackie Robinson of golf, breaking down barriers each time he steps on a course.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents Tanford Baseball Has Been Leading the Way for 117 Years
    ST AN F ORD B Table of Contents AS E BA tanford Baseball has been leading the way for 117 years. Just Stanford Baseball 2010 LL Ssome of the achievements of the historic college baseball program Team’s Schedule .......................................................... BC Quick Facts .....................................................................2 2010 SE include two College World Series titles, six NCAA Super Regional Sunken Diamond .....................................................16-17 victories, 15 NCAA Regional crowns, 20 conference titles and 2589 Outlook ....................................................................22-23 ASON wins – a total which ranks fifth all-time in the history of Division I Coach Marquess .....................................................24-26 OUTL Coach Stotz ...................................................................27 OO college baseball. Stanford Baseball players are not only leading the Coach Filter/Iglesias ......................................................28 K way on field, they are also leading the way in the classroom and with Player Profiles .........................................................30-52 C their work ethic. Stanford Baseball is the most unique experience in Season in Review oac Review Summary ..........................................................54 H IN college baseball. Stanford is for that individual who wants to achieve G ST 2009 Results .................................................................55 A success through the challenge of both
    [Show full text]
  • Michael Jordan: a Biography
    Michael Jordan: A Biography David L. Porter Greenwood Press MICHAEL JORDAN Recent Titles in Greenwood Biographies Tiger Woods: A Biography Lawrence J. Londino Mohandas K. Gandhi: A Biography Patricia Cronin Marcello Muhammad Ali: A Biography Anthony O. Edmonds Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Biography Roger Bruns Wilma Rudolph: A Biography Maureen M. Smith Condoleezza Rice: A Biography Jacqueline Edmondson Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Biography Louise Krasniewicz and Michael Blitz Billie Holiday: A Biography Meg Greene Elvis Presley: A Biography Kathleen Tracy Shaquille O’Neal: A Biography Murry R. Nelson Dr. Dre: A Biography John Borgmeyer Bonnie and Clyde: A Biography Nate Hendley Martha Stewart: A Biography Joann F. Price MICHAEL JORDAN A Biography David L. Porter GREENWOOD BIOGRAPHIES GREENWOOD PRESS WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT • LONDON Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Porter, David L., 1941- Michael Jordan : a biography / David L. Porter. p. cm. — (Greenwood biographies, ISSN 1540–4900) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-313-33767-3 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-313-33767-5 (alk. paper) 1. Jordan, Michael, 1963- 2. Basketball players—United States— Biography. I. Title. GV884.J67P67 2007 796.323092—dc22 [B] 2007009605 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2007 by David L. Porter All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007009605 ISBN-13: 978–0–313–33767–3 ISBN-10: 0–313–33767–5 ISSN: 1540–4900 First published in 2007 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • 89Th Annual Academy Awards® Oscar® Nominations Fact
    ® 89TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS ® OSCAR NOMINATIONS FACT SHEET Best Motion Picture of the Year: Arrival (Paramount) - Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, producers - This is the first nomination for all four. Fences (Paramount) - Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, producers - This is the eighth nomination for Scott Rudin, who won for No Country for Old Men (2007). His other Best Picture nominations were for The Hours (2002), The Social Network (2010), True Grit (2010), Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), Captain Phillips (2013) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). This is the first nomination in this category for both Denzel Washington and Todd Black. Hacksaw Ridge (Summit Entertainment) - Bill Mechanic and David Permut, producers - This is the first nomination for both. Hell or High Water (CBS Films and Lionsgate) - Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, producers - This is the first nomination for both. Hidden Figures (20th Century Fox) - Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, producers - This is the fourth nomination in this category for Donna Gigliotti, who won for Shakespeare in Love (1998). Her other Best Picture nominations were for The Reader (2008) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). This is the first nomination in this category for Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi. La La Land (Summit Entertainment) - Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, producers - This is the first nomination for both Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz. This is the second nomination in this category for Marc Platt. He was nominated last year for Bridge of Spies. Lion (The Weinstein Company) - Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, producers - This is the second nomination in this category for both Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, who won for The King's Speech (2010).
    [Show full text]
  • MARK SULLIVAN As
    TOPPING IT OFF SOCCER BATTLE IN THE SHADE GETTING PROTECTIVE Headwear Trends Brands Vie for Dollars Sunglass Technology 12 Hot New Products SPORTSINSIGHTMAG.COM PERFORMANCE + URBAN + ATHLETIC = THE NEW OUTDOOR APPAREL EQUATION SEE PAGE 28 PERMIT # 191 # PERMIT ITHACA, NY ITHACA, PAID US POSTAGE US RR STD PRSRT A FORMULA4MEDIA PUBLICATION • JULY/AUGUST 2015 Executive Editor Mark Sullivan [email protected] 646-319-7878 Editor-in-Chief Cara Griffin [email protected] sportsinsightmag.com facebook.com/sportsinsight twitter.com/sports_insight 8 Senior Editor Bob McGee IN THE MARKET [email protected] Soccer biz battle; Art Director Affordable Care Act Francis Klaess JULY update; plus more Associate Art Director Mary McGann industry analysis. Contributors Jennifer Ernst Beaudry Suzanne Blecher 24 Michael Jacobsen AUGUST15 Nancy Ruhling FOOTWEAR Tim Sitek Athleisure and Publisher Jeff Gruenhut casual trends are [email protected] driving footwear 404-467-9980 sales at retail. Advertising Beth Gordon [email protected] 28 949-293-1378 Troy Leonard OUTDOOR IMPACT [email protected] 352-624-1561 How the new urban, athletic consumer is Jeff Nott [email protected] impacting outdoor 516-305-4711 apparel trends. Sam Selvaggio [email protected] 212-398-5021 34 Production Brandon Christie HYDRATION 516-305-4712 Five fast facts: The [email protected] “need to knows” of Subscriptions the hydration business. store.formula4media.com Business Manager Marianna Rukhvarger 516-305-4709 36 [email protected] HEADWEAR Promotion Director Christina Henderson Active outdoor cap 516-305-4710 styles focus on [email protected] lightweight protection. 40 SUNGLASSES PO Box 23-1318 Sport styles meet Great Neck, NY 11023 Phone: 516-305-4710 the street and lens Fax: 516-305-4712 tech goes to a www.formula4media.com whole new level.
    [Show full text]
  • Portland State Magazine Productions
    Portland State University PDXScholar University Archives: Campus Publications & Portland State Magazine Productions Winter 1-1-2013 Portland State Magazine Portland State University. Office of University Communications Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/psu_magazine Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Portland State University. Office of University Communications, "Portland State Magazine" (2013). Portland State Magazine. 4. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/psu_magazine/4 This Book is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Portland State Magazine by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. WINTER 2013 STOP-MOTION MAGIC Travis Knight ’98 leads the enchantment / 10 Cinematic craft / 13 A kinder, greener classroom / 16 Is Portland really Portlandia? / 18 Culture shift / 21 DRIVING THE CLEAN ECONOMY Researchers at PSU are teaming up with Portland General Electric, public agencies, and Oregon’s growing electric vehicle industry to understand how EVs will impact infrastructure, drivers, and the environment. Moving Oregon to a cleaner future—part of PSU’s $1.4 billion annual economic impact. Oregon is our classroom pdx.edu 2 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WINTER 2013 CONTENTS Features 10 STOP-MOTION MAGIC Travis Knight ’98 leads the enchantment at the Laika animation Departments studio in Hillsboro. 13 CINEMATIC CRAFT The University’s film program is 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT 8 FANFARE attracting the next generation of Onstage at the Met Campus life thrives in the heart cinematographers. of the city Opera in the spring Haunting imagery 3 LETTERS Clowning around 16 A KINDER, GREENER Transformative times New Works CLASSROOM Early student housing Too many students? It’s off to the 24 GIVING portable classroom, but this one is 4 PARK BLOCKS Honoring those who give something special.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Transcript (PDF)
    Doug Oxsen Oral History Interviews, December 30, 2015 Title “Raising the Bar for OSU Athletics” Date December 30, 2015 Location Valley Library, Oregon State University. Summary Interview #2 begins with Oxsen's broader memories of his basketball career at Oregon State. These memories include the quality of play in the Pac-8 during Oxsen's years as a competitor, the knee injury that he suffered during his freshman year, and the contrasts that he has observed between the culture of basketball during that era with what evolved later on. A major topic of conversation is Oxsen's recollections of playing against Bill Walton's UCLA Bruins and Oregon State's upset of UCLA in 1975, a win that broke UCLA's 49-game conference winning streak. He likewise comments on his interactions with Bill Walton in later years, as well as other noteworthy players against whom he competed. The session then shifts its focus to Oxsen's life following his graduation from OSU. These reflections include a discussion of Oxsen's two years touring the world with the Athletes in Action Christian ministry; his brief stint playing professionally in England; and his private sector work with Universal Gym Equipment and the BikeE Corporation. The remainder of the interview is chiefly devoted to Oxsen's return to OSU and his activities as a fundraiser with the OSU Foundation. Specifically, Oxsen details his involvement with the Raising Reser project as well as the construction of the Basketball Practice Facility, the launch of the Everyday Champions program, and the revival of track and field as an intercollegiate sport at Oregon State.
    [Show full text]
  • Shoe+Dog+-+Phil+Knight.Pdf
    Opening Quote: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” —Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind ​ ​ One of the best books I’ve read in recent years. Phil takes us on an autobiographical journey of personal and professional growth. The first chapter “Dawn” introduces Phil Knight’s Crazy Idea: to import high-quality, low cost shoes from Asia and sell them in the US—an idea he, an avid runner, presented to his business class at Stanford. The next 19 chapters are arranged annually—1962 through 1980—revealing a play-by-play on how his Crazy Idea grew into the world’s most successful athletic & lifestyle brand, Nike Inc. with a market cap of $98B and annual revenue of $34B as of May 2017. Table of Contents ● 1962 ● 1966 ● 1970 ● 1974 ● 1978 ● 1963 ● 1967 ● 1971 ● 1975 ● 1979 ● 1964 ● 1968 ● 1972 ● 1976 ● 1980 ● 1965 ● 1969 ● 1973 ● 1977 ● Night Copyright © 2017 DBT Ventures, LLC 1 All action items from this book: ● People ○ Research General MacArthur, one of Phil Knight’s personal heroes ​ ​ ○ Learn about Knight’s three main heroes: Churchill, Kennedy, and Tolstoy ○ Research the Eighty-Second Airborne (reference on p. 307) ​ ​ ○ Read about General Vo Nguyen Giap ​ ○ Read about Masuro Hayami, CEO of Nissho ​ ​ ● Skills ○ Talk less. Heroes don’t need to say much. None are blabbermouths. None micromanaged. ○ Research: what is the best book on negotiation tactics? ○ Communication learning from Phil Knight: in business, when in doubt, SPEAK LESS ​ ● Books ○ Find and buy the top book on the warrior mentality.
    [Show full text]
  • FICTION BOOK CLUB August 2018 Selection Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
    NON- FICTION BOOK CLUB August 2018 Selection __________________________ Shoe Dog by Phil Knight Fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality, low- cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his car in 1963, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups, Knight’s Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world. But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always been a mystery. In Shoe Dog, he tells the story at last. At twenty-four, Knight decides that rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something all his own, new, dynamic, and different. He details the many risks he encountered, the crushing setbacks, the ruthless competitors and hostile bankers—as well as his many thrilling triumphs. Above all, he recalls the relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers. Together, harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the transformative power of sports, they created a brand—and a culture— that changed everything. ISBN 9781501135927 BAM! 1 Discussion Questions: 1. Discuss the book’s epigraph. Why do you think Knight chose this passage as the epigraph? How does it frame your reading of Shoe Dog? In what ways do we witness Knight grow from a beginner to an expert over the course of the book? 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Portland State Perspective Productions
    Portland State University PDXScholar University Archives: Campus Publications & Portland State Perspective Productions October 1984 Portland State Perspective; October 1984, Special Edition Portland State University Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/perspective Recommended Citation Portland State University, "Portland State Perspective; October 1984, Special Edition" (1984). Portland State Perspective. Book 55. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/perspective/55 This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Portland State Perspective by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Portland State University Alumni News tivc Special Edition October 1984 PSU's friends continue their support In the last few years, Portland State University has Advanced Technology if the University.could come up made a lot of good friends. It showed in 1982-83 with the balance before Dec. 31 , 1985. This when private giving to the University doubled to a $825,000 challenge grant, not included in the $1.6 record $1.7 million. And it showed last year when million annual fund total, was the biggest single gift to that generosity was repeated with $1,618,634 in Portland State in 1983-84. private gifts. The School of Engineering received two sizable "This solid foundation of support makes a grants from high tech interests in the community to tremendous difference," said PSU President Joseph C. help support research and staffing. A four-year pledge Blumel. "Virtually every superior public institution of of $687,000 from the Tektronix Foundation will higher education is very generously supported by provide two additional faculty members and private funds.
    [Show full text]
  • Basketball Bedlam in Barcelona
    BASKETBALL BEDLAM IN BARCELONA by Carson Cunningham hen the 1992 United States Olympic bas- tional corporations, was nothing short of astound- Wketball team arrived at the luxurious Hotel ing. David Burns, President of the Chicago-based Ambassador in Monte Carlo a week before the Burns Celebrity Services, said, "No doubt about it, Barcelona Games, the hotel's managers scoffed this is the biggest, most expensive marketing deal at suggestions that they needed to enhance secu- in the history of sports." Deputy Secretary General rity. They assured all that their experience hosting of the USOC and marketing legend John Krimsky rock stars and kings and princesses had ably pre- said, "There are young people out there who think pared them. Then, as the Hartford Courant's Alan the Olympics are one big basketball tournament."4 Greenberg put it, "the team showed up." Soon af- Corporations had of course long-associated ter it did, hotel officials were apologizing for the themselves with Olympic sports, but the Dream disorderly mess as fans and media that had flocked Team brought it to a whole new level. Forty differ- to the hotel converged upon Michael Jordan, Larry ent companies, spending an estimated $40 million, Bird, Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the rest. "The emerged as promotional partners of the squad. magnitude of this basketball royalty, they had not Fourteen of those went through USA basketball, understood," Greenberg wrote.1 paying $750,000 apiece. Twenty-six others aligned The experience in Monte Carlo gave Olympic themselves with the team using separate licensing officials an indication of the enormous response the agreements.
    [Show full text]