NIKE, Inc. has promoted five executives to vice president: David Heath, head of U.S. sales; Heidi O'Neill, head of U.S. apparel; Roland Paanakker, chief information officer; Nigel Powell, head of global communications; and Jill Stanton, head of apparel for the company's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

“These promotions underscore the strength of Nike's management team and our ongoing commitment to developing talented senior leadership in the company,” said William Perez, chief executive officer and president, NIKE, Inc. “Each of these individuals has made substantial contributions to Nike's growth, and we look forward to their continued success.”

Heath, 51, joined Nike in 1990 as a regional sales manager and has been director of U.S. sales since March 2004. As Vice President, Heath is responsible for all Nike branded footwear, apparel and equipment sales in the United States.

O'Neill, 41, joined Nike in 1998 as a marketing director for apparel and has been instrumental in driving the growth of Nike's women's apparel business. She most recently was general manager of U.S. apparel. As Vice President, O'Neill leads the growth and development of Nike's branded apparel business across all categories in the United States.

Paanakker, 43, joined Nike in 1995 at the company's regional headquarters in Europe, and has worked in Europe and the United States on Nike's supply chain initiatives. As Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Paanakker is responsible for all of NIKE, Inc.'s information technology infrastructure and applications worldwide.

Powell, 38, joined Nike in 1999 as communications director for the company's EMEA region. He was named head of US communications in 2002, and global brand communications director in September 2004. As Vice President, Global Communications, Powell leads all brand and business communications activities for Nike Inc., including the Nike brand and Nike subsidiaries.

Stanton, 43, joined Nike in 1997 as director of the company's apparel business in the United Kingdom. She subsequently headed apparel for the Asia Pacific region for three years, and was named general manager of apparel for EMEA in 2004. As Vice President, Stanton leads the growth of Nike branded apparel in the EMEA region.