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Ann Hebert Resigns as Nike Exec After Report Ties Her to Sneaker Resale Business
March 2, 2021
Nike announced Monday the resignation of Ann Hebert, the company's vice president and general manager of the North American region.
CNBC's Lauren Thomas spoke to a representative at Nike who said Hebert chose to resign and wasn't formally dismissed.
The move comes after Hebert's son, Joe, was profiled in a story by Bloomberg Businessweek's Joshua Hunt about the growing sneaker resale market. Hunt stumbled upon their relation when he received a call from a number belonging to Ann.
"I looked the name up and discovered there was an Ann Hebert who'd worked at Nike for 25 years and had recently been made its vice president and general manager for North America," he wrote. "The press release announcing her promotion noted that she would be 'instrumental in accelerating our Consumer Direct Offense'—the Nike initiative that had helped fuel the sneaker-resale boom."
Joe attempted to downplay how he might have benefited from his connection to Nike, saying his mother "was so high up at Nike as to be removed from what he does, and that he'd never received inside information such as discount codes from her."
Nike spokesperson Sandra Carreon-John also told Hunt that Ann disclosed information about West Coast Streetwear, her son's company, in 2018.
According to Hunt, Joe does have an American Express corporate card in his mother's name for West Coast Streetwear. Some purchases totaled six figures as he and his team bought high-end sneakers in bulk to turn around for a profit.
