Nike, Inc., announced the appointment of Chris Zimmerman as chief executive officer of Bauer Nike Hockey, Inc., effective April 1, 2003. Zimmerman joins Bauer Nike Hockey after eight years with Nike, including the past four years with Nike Golf.


“Chris has been instrumental in creating the success we have achieved in the
golf business during the last four years, first as the Director of
Marketing, and most recently as U.S. General Manager,” said Bob Wood,
president of Nike Golf. “In 1998, Chris helped formulate the original
business and brand strategy for Nike Golf, which we still follow today. He
has played a key role in building the Nike Golf brand, and in establishing
our business for long-term success in the U.S. market.”

Zimmerman, a seasoned sports marketing executive with more than 20 years of
experience in marketing, sales and general management, joins Bauer Nike
Hockey after helping to lead Nike Golf’s successful entry into the golf ball
and golf club markets. Prior to joining Nike Golf in 1998 as its global
marketing director, Zimmerman served as U.S. Advertising Director for the
Nike Brand, helping to propel Nike’s U.S. sales from $3 billion to $5
billion from 1995 to 1998.

“Chris is a proven leader who brings a wealth of global experience in
product, brand building and customer relationships, ” said Scott Olivet,
vice president of Nike Subsidiaries. “His business sense is matched only by
his passion for the sport of hockey and his track record speaks for itself.
Chris has always been an innovator, a builder of businesses for the long
term and has engendered a winning attitude in his teams.”

A former collegiate hockey player at the University of Vermont and an
assistant coach at Babson College while in graduate school, Zimmerman has a
personal passion for the game of hockey. He continues to coach youth hockey
even today.

“The thing that excites me most about joining Bauer Nike Hockey is the
product,” says Zimmerman. “From the new Bauer Vapor XX skate to the
innovation in the new Nike Quest V12 under-protective line, weve got great
stories to tell our retail customers and passionate hockey players. With
that said, this has still been one of the toughest career decisions I have
ever made.”

Prior to joining Nike, Zimmerman spent 16 years in a variety of senior
advertising positions. He was a senior vice president at Saatchi and
Saatchi Advertising in New York, where he directed the advertising
development for brands like Tide, Wendy’s, Kenner Toys and LifeSavers Candy.