John Donahoe
John Joseph Donahoe II (born April 30, 1960) is an American business executive who served as president and chief executive officer of Nike, Inc. from January 2020 to October 2024. Prior to Nike, Donahoe was CEO of ServiceNow and eBay, and president of Bain & Company. Known for his focus on digital transformation and direct-to-consumer strategies, Donahoe's tenure at Nike was marked by record revenues but also criticism from longtime Nike employees and retailers who felt the company had lost its way. In August 2025, he was named athletic director at Stanford University, his alma mater for business school.
Early life and education
John Joseph Donahoe II was born on April 30, 1960, in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. His father was an accountant at Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Chicago, and his mother was a homemaker. Growing up in an upper-middle-class household in the Chicago suburbs, Donahoe attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, one of the nation's most prestigious public high schools, graduating in 1978.
After high school, Donahoe headed east to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. At Dartmouth, he majored in economics and was a member of Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity (formerly Kappa Sigma). Dartmouth in the early 1980s was a dynamic place, with the college's strong liberal arts tradition combining with growing interest in business and finance among students.
Donahoe graduated from Dartmouth in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He then worked for several years before deciding to pursue an MBA. In the mid-1980s, he enrolled at Stanford Graduate School of Business, one of the world's premier business schools located in the heart of Silicon Valley. At Stanford, Donahoe earned his MBA and developed a network of relationships that would prove valuable throughout his career. It was also at Stanford where he met Eileen Chamberlain, who was also pursuing graduate studies at Stanford. The two began dating and would later marry.
Career
Bain & Company (1980s–2005)
After earning his MBA from Stanford, Donahoe joined Bain & Company, the Boston-based management consulting firm. Bain was known for its intensive, results-oriented approach to consulting, working closely with clients over extended periods rather than producing one-off reports.
Donahoe thrived at Bain, rising through the ranks over more than two decades. He became a partner, then a senior partner, working with major corporations on strategy, operations, and organizational transformation. His clients included companies in technology, consumer goods, healthcare, and financial services.
By the late 1990s, Donahoe had become one of Bain's most senior leaders. In 1999, he was named president and CEO of Bain & Company worldwide, leading the firm's global operations. Under his leadership, Bain continued to grow and prosper during the dot-com boom and subsequent bust.
Donahoe's experience at Bain gave him deep expertise in strategic thinking, operational improvement, and change management—skills that would serve him well as an operating executive.
eBay (2005–2015)
In March 2005, Donahoe left Bain to join eBay as president of eBay Marketplaces, the company's core auction and e-commerce business. eBay, founded in 1995, had become one of the internet's success stories, connecting millions of buyers and sellers worldwide.
CEO of eBay (2008–2015)
In March 2008, Donahoe was promoted to president and CEO of eBay Inc., succeeding Meg Whitman. He inherited a company facing significant challenges:
- Competition from Amazon and other e-commerce sites
- Slowing growth in eBay's core auction business
- Questions about eBay's acquisition of Skype
- Tensions with PayPal, eBay's payments subsidiary
- A business model that some viewed as outdated
Donahoe embarked on a major transformation of eBay:
Shift from Auctions to Fixed-Price
Donahoe recognized that consumers increasingly preferred buying items at fixed prices rather than through auctions. He shifted eBay's focus toward fixed-price listings, essentially turning eBay into a traditional e-commerce marketplace that happened to also offer auctions, rather than an auction site that also offered fixed-price items.
Mobile First
Donahoe invested heavily in mobile apps and mobile experiences, recognizing that smartphones would become the primary way consumers shopped online. By 2014, eBay's mobile volume exceeded $20 billion annually.
Improved Search and User Experience
eBay's search functionality and site design were criticized as clunky and outdated. Donahoe invested in modernizing the platform, making it easier for buyers to find items and complete purchases.
PayPal Growth
While Donahoe led eBay Inc., PayPal (then owned by eBay) grew dramatically, eventually accounting for a large portion of eBay's value. In 2015, Donahoe oversaw the spinoff of PayPal as an independent company, bowing to pressure from activist investors who argued that PayPal would be worth more as a standalone company.
Under Donahoe's leadership, eBay's annual revenues more than doubled from approximately $8 billion to over $18 billion, and the company's market value increased from around $30 billion to over $80 billion (including PayPal).
Donahoe stepped down as eBay CEO in 2015 when the company and PayPal separated, with Devin Wenig succeeding him at eBay.
ServiceNow (2017–2020)
In February 2017, Donahoe was announced as the president and CEO of ServiceNow, a cloud-based software company that provides IT service management and business process automation. ServiceNow was growing rapidly but needed experienced leadership to scale.
During his three years at ServiceNow, Donahoe:
- Drove revenue growth from approximately $1.9 billion (2017) to $4.0 billion (2019)
- Expanded ServiceNow's platform beyond IT service management into broader enterprise workflow automation
- Strengthened ServiceNow's sales organization and go-to-market strategy
- Built out the leadership team to support continued growth
Donahoe's success at ServiceNow further cemented his reputation as a skilled CEO capable of leading technology companies through growth and transformation.
Nike, Inc. (2020–2024)
In October 2019, Nike announced that John Donahoe would succeed Mark Parker as president and CEO, effective January 13, 2020. The appointment surprised many in the athletic footwear and apparel industry because Donahoe had no prior experience in the sector.
Nike's board selected Donahoe for his digital expertise and track record of driving e-commerce growth—capabilities Nike believed it needed as consumer shopping shifted online.
Digital Transformation and Direct-to-Consumer Focus
Donahoe's strategy at Nike centered on accelerating digital transformation and shifting more sales to direct-to-consumer channels (Nike.com, Nike apps, and Nike-owned stores) rather than wholesale partners like Foot Locker, Dick's Sporting Goods, and department stores.
Key elements of his strategy:
Consumer Direct Acceleration
Donahoe dramatically reduced Nike's wholesale partnerships, cutting ties with many retailers to focus on selling directly to consumers. This allowed Nike to capture more profit per sale and collect customer data, but it angered retail partners and reduced Nike's distribution reach.
Digital and App Focus
Nike invested heavily in its digital platforms, including Nike.com, the Nike app, and SNKRS (Nike's app for limited-edition sneaker releases). By 2023, Nike's digital sales exceeded $10 billion annually.
Membership Program
Nike built out its membership program, encouraging consumers to join Nike's ecosystem and providing personalized experiences, early access to products, and other benefits.
Supply Chain and Inventory Issues
During Donahoe's tenure, Nike faced significant supply chain disruptions related to COVID-19 factory closures, shipping delays, and inventory imbalances. The company oscillated between shortages of popular products and excess inventory of slow-sellers.
Criticism and Challenges
Donahoe's tenure was increasingly controversial:
Loss of Wholesale Relationships
Retailers who had sold Nike products for decades felt abandoned as Nike pulled back distribution. Some, like Foot Locker, had to scramble to fill the gap left by reduced Nike allocation.
Product Innovation Concerns
Critics, including longtime Nike employees, argued that Donahoe's focus on digital platforms and direct sales came at the expense of product innovation. Nike seemed to be re-releasing old designs rather than creating compelling new products.
Disconnect from Sport and Culture
Unlike previous Nike leaders who were deeply connected to sports and athletic culture, Donahoe came from tech and e-commerce. Some felt this showed in Nike's marketing and product decisions, which seemed more focused on algorithms and data than authentic connections with athletes and consumers.
Stock Price Performance
While Nike's revenues grew under Donahoe, the stock price stagnated and eventually fell, underperforming competitors like Adidas and newer brands like Hoka and On Running. By 2024, Nike's stock had fallen approximately 30% from its 2021 highs.
Departure
On September 19, 2024, Nike announced that Donahoe would step down as CEO, effective October 14, 2024, and would be replaced by Elliott Hill, a 32-year Nike veteran who had retired in 2020 but was returning to lead the company. The announcement was widely seen as an acknowledgment that Nike needed to return to its roots with a leader who understood sport, product, and Nike's culture.
Donahoe remained as an advisor to Nike through January 2025 to assist with the transition.
Stanford University (2025–present)
In August 2025, Stanford University announced that John Donahoe would become the school's athletic director, effective September 8, 2025. The appointment brought Donahoe full circle to Stanford, where he had earned his MBA in the 1980s.
As Stanford's athletic director, Donahoe oversees one of the nation's premier college athletic programs, with 36 varsity sports and a history of Olympic and NCAA success. The role involves navigating the changing landscape of college athletics, including Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, conference realignment, and budget pressures.
Personal life
John Donahoe is married to Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, whom he met while both were students at Stanford in the 1980s. Eileen has had a distinguished career in human rights and diplomacy, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva from 2010 to 2013. She is also a Dartmouth trustee, serving her alma mater in a governance role.
The couple has four children:
- Jack (eldest son)
- Thomas, Dartmouth Class of 2009
- Catherine, Dartmouth Class of 2015
- Kevin, Dartmouth Class of 2017
Three of their four children followed their parents to Dartmouth, creating a strong family connection to the college.
The Donahoe family has lived in several locations over the years, reflecting John's various CEO roles. They maintained homes in the San Francisco Bay Area (Portola Valley, California) and Portland, Oregon during John's time at Nike. They are now based in the Stanford area as John takes on his athletic director role.
Colleagues describe Donahoe as analytical, strategic, and calm under pressure. He is known for his data-driven approach to decision-making and his ability to see patterns and opportunities that others miss. However, some have criticized him as lacking passion for the products and culture of the companies he leads—a criticism particularly acute during his Nike tenure.
Outside of work, Donahoe is interested in education, serving on various educational boards and supporting initiatives to improve K-12 education and college access.
Leadership philosophy
Donahoe's leadership approach reflects his consulting background:
Digital Transformation
Throughout his career, Donahoe has focused on helping companies adapt to digital technology and changing consumer behavior. He believes that companies must transform their business models or risk being disrupted.
Direct Relationships with Customers
Donahoe champions building direct relationships with customers rather than relying on intermediaries. This philosophy drove his strategies at both eBay and Nike.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Like many leaders with consulting backgrounds, Donahoe emphasizes using data and analytics to inform decisions rather than relying on intuition or tradition.
Controversies
Nike's Loss of Focus
The primary controversy of Donahoe's career was his leadership at Nike, where many critics felt he led the company astray:
- Prioritizing digital sales over product innovation
- Damaging relationships with wholesale partners who had built Nike's brand for decades
- Failing to connect with Nike's sports and cultural heritage
- Overreliance on retro products rather than creating new iconic designs
When Nike announced Elliott Hill would replace Donahoe, the company's stock rose 8% in a single day—suggesting investors were relieved by the leadership change.
Compensation
Donahoe's compensation at Nike was substantial—$32.8 million in 2023—even as the company's performance deteriorated. Critics argued that CEO pay should be tied more closely to actual results rather than remaining high even during periods of underperformance.
Compensation and net worth
At Nike, Donahoe's 2023 total compensation was $32.8 million. His net worth is estimated at $200-250 million, accumulated through stock holdings from eBay, ServiceNow, and Nike, as well as savings from his decades-long career.