Nike selects former Twitter exec as new chief DE&I officer

Sportswear giant Nike has named James Loduca as its new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, succeeding Jarvis Sam who left the company in November.

Loduca announced the appointment on his LinkedIn, where he said: “In an increasingly polarised time, sport is one of the few things that still brings us together.

“Nike believes that if you have a body, you are an athlete – and I’m thrilled to be joining the team and help lead efforts to create a level playing field where everyone can win.”

On his profile, Loduca states that he identifies “as one of the few openly LGBTQ+ Latinx executives in the field”, and has dedicated his work to “addressing systemic inequality, uplifting underrepresented people and communities, and accelerating change at top Fortune 500 companies”.

He joins Nike from Twitter where he most recently served as vice president, inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. He also works as a corporate adviser to The Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council (HITEC).

Previously, Loduca has served as a member of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee to the US speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi.

Loduca is the fourth person to fill the DE&I role at Nike since 2020, however since the integration of the role, the company has notably implemented more diversity-based initiatives, such as apprenticeship programmes and inclusive hiring practices.