SARAH MENSAH DISCUSSES BEING FIRST BLACK WOMAN VP OF NIKE NORTH AMERICA

After joining Nike, Mensah spent five years with its Jordan Brand. In 2018 Mensah became the vice president of the brand’s Latin America and the Asia Pacific regions. Today she’s running Nike’s North America region where consumer spending is pushing demand for the brand, which beat its Q3 projections as digital sales jumped 33%, and overall sales increased nine percent.

Like many other companies, Nike is still dealing with supply chain and delivery issues. According to Mensah, every part of Nike’s business is seeing significant change as a result, including retail development, operations, and staffing in the U.S. and Canada, and more.

“It’s a challenge every day, the largeness of it. Part of the surprise is that we’re navigating it,” Mensah said.

“The secret sauce is a tremendous amount of empathy and communication.”

Mensah added that communicating with her team and giving them the ability to be open and honest about their challenges has been a priority, especially during the pandemic. She also acknowledged that she does not have all the answers and, as a result, is comfortable listening to her team’s suggestions and solutions to problems.

The Nike executive also advises her staff to listen to their gut and follow their emotions, especially when it comes to career decisions, because the road typically traveled may not always be the best or most efficient.

“So many of us, especially in my generation, spent a good portion of our time in business trying to emulate what the guys were doing, thinking there would be some reward at the end,” she said.

“The best way to unlocking success is to trust that gut and know that your voice matters.”

News Source: BlackEnterprise / Written Credits to: Derek Major