Nike Inc’s VP of enterprise AI/ML engineering, Jason Loveland, is leaving his post, according to a LinkedIn post.

He joined Nike in February 2016 as senior director of engineering, analytics & machine learning, subsequently advancing to interim VP of enterprise data & analytics and head of AI and machine learning engineering before landing his most recent role as VP of enterprise AI/ML engineering in August 2021.

He previously spent two years at ESPN, including as director of engineering and architecture, after working at Lockheed Martin for 12 years.

Loveland’s departure comes as Nike confirmed reports of layoffs within its technology division in May as part of a broader restructuring effort and as Ron Faris, previously VP and general manager of Nike Virtual Studios, left Nike in early July to become VP of global marketing for Disney Consumer Products.

Loveland’s LinkedIn post follows:

After 7.5 incredible years at Nike, it’s time for me to take on a new challenge and join an exciting new company! More on this soon…

I’m so proud of what we built. We delivered value across the entire matrix from athlete research and product creation to supply chain and digital retail by:
– Building the AI/ML engineering team from the ground up.
– Partnering AI/ML Engineering with Data Science to deploy and scale AI products globally.
– Establishing a world-class AI platform, complete with MLOps and LLM Ops, to power enterprise AI adoption.
– Leading Nike’s Transformational Generative AI Initiative

Some of the highlights I’ll always cherish: partnering with the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) to deliver athlete performance analytics; the acquisition and integration of Celect to power demand sensing and optimization; creating algorithms for Nike Adapt smart footwear; and elevating search and recs with LLMs.

Capping it all off was pioneering the first fine-tuned generative AI model to design Nike products; revealed to the world at the Paris Olympics and Air Max Day. Leading our transformational generative AI initiative to deliver new revenue and productivity was the ultimate team sport.

Thank you to my amazing team, our fearless partners across Nike, and the visionary leadership who believed in pushing boundaries. Together, we proved what’s possible when we unite curiosity, creativity, and the spirit of “Just Do It.”

As Bill Bowerman said, “There is no finish line.” While I’m stepping into a new role, the race for innovation and impact never stops.

Nike will always be a part of me. Thank you for the memories, the lessons, and the chance to help shape the future.