Charlie Denson, president of the Nike Brand, will be the commencement speaker for the 126th graduation ceremony of Utah State University on May 4. The university announced he will also receive an honorary doctorate during the ceremony.
Denson is a 1979 graduate of Utah State University.
The university’s statement noted that after graduating from Utah State, Denson started as an assistant store manager of “The Athletics Department,” Nike’s first retail store in Portland. During his 30 year career at Nike, he worked as a vice president of sales in the United States and Europe and general manager of Nike USA.
“An innovator in developing sales and distribution strategies, Denson has been a driving force in Nike’s global growth as the company has expanded into approximately 190 countries,” Nike said in a release. “He pioneered Nike’s growth in China, India and Brazil, in particular. In fiscal year 2012, Nike Brand revenues surpassed $21 billion, a growth of 16 percent.”
Also receiving an honorary doctorate: Samuel Alba, retired United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Utah; Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; and Mathana Santiwat, president of Bangkok University in Thailand.
