Thasunda Duckett
NIKEAbout Thasunda Duckett
Thasunda Duckett (age 51) is an independent director of NIKE, Inc., serving since 2019. She is President and CEO of TIAA and previously led Chase Consumer Banking at JPMorgan Chase, with earlier roles including CEO of Chase Auto Finance and positions at Fannie Mae; at Nike she serves on the Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Governance Committee .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIAA | President & CEO; Board of Governance and Board of Trustees | CEO since 2021; board roles current | Leadership of large financial institution serving academic/medical/government sectors |
| JPMorgan Chase | CEO, Chase Consumer Banking | 2016–2021 | Led consumer banking operations |
| JPMorgan Chase | CEO, Chase Auto Finance | 2013–2016 | Ran auto finance division |
| JPMorgan Chase | Consumer lending and management roles | 2004–2013 | Various leadership roles |
| Fannie Mae | Director, Emerging Markets | Prior to JPMorgan | Housing finance expertise |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brex | Director | Current | Private fintech board service |
| National Medal of Honor Museum | Director | Current | Non-profit governance |
| Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights | Director | Current | Non-profit governance |
| Sesame Workshop | Trustee | Current | Non-profit governance |
| Otis and Rosie Brown Foundation | Chair | Current | Philanthropy leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Ms. Duckett is independent under NYSE rules .
- Committee assignments: Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Governance (member; not chair) .
- Attendance: In FY2025 the Board met 4 times; all incumbent directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings, and all then-serving directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Executive sessions: Non-management director executive sessions held at least annually; presiding director rotated among independent committee chairs .
- Committee specifics (CRS&G): Reviews governance, Purpose strategy (people/planet/play), related-party transactions, director nominations, board structure, and annual self-evaluations; met 4 times in FY2025 .
| Committee | Role | FY2025 Meetings | Key Oversight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Governance | Member | 4 | Governance framework, director nominations, related-party transactions, reputation, sustainability, board evaluations |
Fixed Compensation
| Item (FY2025) | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | 100,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer |
| Stock awards (grant-date fair value) | 190,305 | Annual restricted stock; program targets $200,000 per year |
| All other compensation | 42,243 | Includes $20,000 matching gifts; plus merchandise and travel including 2024 Paris Olympics |
| Total | 332,548 | — |
Program features:
- Annual restricted stock valued at $200,000; forfeitable if service ends before next annual meeting or 12 months after grant .
- Matching charitable contributions up to $20,000 annually .
- Chair retainers ($25,000; $30,000 for Audit & Finance), Lead Independent Director retainer ($40,000), and Audit & Finance member retainer ($5,000) .
Performance Compensation
Directors do not receive performance-based equity; awards are time-vesting restricted stock only. As of May 31, 2025, each non-employee director held 2,437 unvested restricted shares; no stock options were outstanding .
| Equity Component | Grant Value | Unvested Shares | Vesting/Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted stock (time-based) | 190,305 (FY2025) | 2,437 (as of 5/31/2025) | Service-based vest; no performance metrics |
| Stock options | — | — | None outstanding |
| PSUs | — | — | Not part of director program |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Public company boards: None .
- Interlocks: Independence review noted immaterial relationships for other directors; no related-party transactions disclosed involving Duckett. CRSG Committee oversees related-person transactions .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills highlighted by Nike: CEO experience, HR/talent management, and financial expertise .
| Skill/Experience | Noted by Board |
|---|---|
| CEO experience | Yes |
| HR/Talent management | Yes |
| Financial expertise | Yes |
Equity Ownership
| Metric | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (Class B shares) | 1,918 | 4,748 | 6,552 | 10,970 |
Additional ownership alignment:
- Director stock ownership guideline: 5× annual cash retainer; new directors must comply within 5 years; Nike states each director has met or is on track .
- Hedging prohibited; pledging requires pre-approval from Chair/CEO with controls to mitigate insider trading risk .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and engagement: Independent director since 2019; serves on CRS&G overseeing governance and related-party review; committee met 4× in FY2025; attendance at least 75% for Board and committee obligations across incumbents supports engagement .
- Ownership alignment: Rising personal shareholdings (2019–2025) and adherence/on-track to 5× retainer guideline, plus unvested service-based equity, align interests with shareholders; hedging barred and pledging controlled .
- Compensation mix: Balanced cash retainer plus time-vested equity; absence of performance metrics for director equity is standard but places emphasis on service continuity rather than explicit pay-for-performance; FY2025 total $332,548 with transparent components .
- Potential conflicts: No public company interlocks; proxy independence determinations list immaterial relationships for other directors; no Duckett-related transactions disclosed; CRS&G oversight of related-party transactions mitigates conflict risk .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed—no pledging reported, no related-party transactions involving Duckett, and strong independence posture; director equity is non-performance-based but common for boards .