Nike has reportedly tasked Angela Dong, Nike’s top executive in Greater China, with overseeing its outdoor sub-brand, All Conditions Gear (ACG), as Nike revisits its opportunity in the outdoor space to revive growth.

Luxeplace reported that in her new role, Dong will lead Nike’s global ACG business in product development, branding and sales, tasked with accelerating growth for the Nike brand in international and Chinese markets.

Dong will also continue to oversee Nike’s Greater China operations, with her title promoted to chairwoman and CEO of Greater China. Dong formerly led China as Nike’s global vice president and general manager for Greater China. She has worked for the company since 2005.

In a Bloomberg report, Scott LeClair, who previously ran Action Sports at Nike, has reportedly been named vice president and general manager of Nike’s ACG division, working from its global headquarters in Portland, OR. His LinkedIn account shows LeClair has held the title GM/VP of Nike Running and Training, based in Shanghai, since 2015.

Bloomberg said it obtained an internal memo detailing the outdoor push. Nike presidents Heidi O’Neill and Craig Williams wrote, “We are now investing more resources in this incredible growth opportunity. ”

O’Neill, who leads the consumer and product division, and Williams, who is in charge of geographies and marketplace, added that they will “continue to drive the new ACG investment across global, geo and city teams throughout the organization in the coming months.”

Nike did not disclose further plans for its ACG business with its employees; however, Nike executives indicated that there is still work to be done on ACG’s strategy, organizational design and operating model.

ACG specializes in hiking gear, including waterproof boots, tear-resistant jackets and daily backpacks.

Nike launched ACG in 1989 as its foray into outdoor apparel and footwear. Initially, it received success for standing out for its more athletic performance features and brighter colors in the staid boot category.

In 1998, Nike spun ACG off into its own operating unit, and Gordon McFadden, previously of Helly-Hansen, was named president of Nike ACG. McFadden left Nike in early 2001, and the brand lost considerable momentum in the ensuing decades. In 2014, Nike rebranded Nike ACG to NikeLab ACG, focusing more on urban markets.

The company’s outdoor push now comes amid changes expected with hiring retired executive Elliott Hill as president and CEO, succeeding John Donahoe, who stepped down on October 13.

Hill, who has over 32 years of experience working for Nike and was most recently president of Consumer and Marketplace, takes over as Nike has seen sales decline amid heightened competition from Adidas, New Balance, Hoka, On, and the company’s own lack of innovation.

Nike earlier this month withdrew its full-year guidance for fiscal 2025 after surprising analysts in June by predicting sales to fall by mid-single digits in its fiscal year that ends May 31, 2025, including a high-single-digit drop in the fiscal first half.

Image courtesy Nike