Nike Inc. has named Kristin Bauer, formerly chief supply chain officer at Foot Locker, Inc., as chief operating officer at Converse, effective September 14.
Bauer will report to Venky Alagirisamy, Nike’s chief operating officer. The hiring was first reported by Bloomberg News after reviewing an internal memo from Aaron Cain, president and CEO of Converse since July 2025.
Bauer was chief supply chain officer at Foot Locker, Inc. for three year until April 2026. Previously, she was chief supply chain officer at TCGplayer.com for two years and VP, logistics strategy & analytics at TJX Companies, Inc. nearly two years. She was at Ulta Beauty for five years from April 2014 to March 2019, with her last role as VP, supply chain strategy & operations.
The hiring comes as Converse has seen 13 straight quarters of declines. In Nike’s fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, revenues for Converse were $1.2 billion, down 31 percent on a reported basis and off 32 percent on a currency-neutral basis, due to declines across all territories. In the prior fiscal year, sales declined 19 percent on a reported basis and 18 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Converse reached its peak annual sales of $2.4 billion in fiscal year 2023.
Nike president and CEO Elliott Hill in early April said Nike remains committed to Converse despite widespread speculation around the sale of the brand as part of its restructuring. He said on Nike’s third quarter analyst call, “Converse will remain an important part of the Nike, Inc. family, and we are excited about its long-term prospects. Overall, the work is not finished, but the direction is clear. Our teams are moving with focus and urgency, and our foundation is getting even stronger.”
Authentic Brands, which has acquired Reebok, Guess, Boardriders, Lee, Guess and numerous other challenged brands in recent years, has expressed interest in Converse.
Images courtesy Nike Inc.
