Bill Perez knew that his move to Nike, Inc. would be an exciting ride, but the companys president and CEO got more than he bargained for on Monday. National media rushed to a scene yesterday that had four execs circling Portland, Ore. for six hours as the company-owned Gulfstream 5 private jet in which they were flying dumped fuel and conducted maneuvers in an attempt to dislodge a landing gear that had become stuck.
“It's nice to be on the ground,” Perez told reporters shortly after landing at Hillsboro airport. “I wasn't at all worried the whole time.”
The plane had departed Hillsboro, which is close to NKEs HQ in Beaverton, Ore., at about 6:00 a.m. PST on Monday for a quick roundtrip to Toronto.
In an updated statement released Monday, Nike Inc. said it was “delighted that its jet landed safely at the Hillsboro, Oregon, airport at approximately 12:10 p.m. PST.” The company confirmed that Bill Perez, president and CEO of Nike, Inc.; Charlie Denson, co-president of the Nike Brand; Mary Kate Buckley, VP and GM of the Nike Americas region; and assistant to the CEO, Merritt Richardson, were all on board, along with three crew members.
“Our sincere thanks to everyone for their professionalism in handling today's mechanical malfunction with our aircraft,” said Perez. “The work of everyone from our flight crew to the people on the ground and at Gulfstream was excellent. Experiences like this remind us all of how thankful we are for our family, friends and co-workers.”
NKE said it will be working with the planes manufacturer and the Federal Aviation Administration to examine the causes of the mechanical malfunctions.
