Sarah Mensah, currently Nike’s Vice President and General Manager for North America, will become President of Jordan Brand, the first woman to hold this position.
Established in 1997 as a subsidiary of the Nike brand, Jordan Brand, named after former Chicago Bulls NBA player Michael Jordan, specializes in the production of sports footwear, apparel and accessories. It is one of the most popular and successful brands in the global sports footwear and sportswear industry, with sales of Usd 5.1 billion in 2022. Michael Jordan personally invests in this division, which represents him.
In 2021, Sarah Mensah had already made history by becoming Nike’s first black female Vice President and General Manager in North America, the brand’s largest market at $166 billion. She was appointed to this position to stabilize the team following a change in management. In this role, she leads all aspects of the North America geographic area, including direct operations, marketing, digital, sales, consumer structure and territories, among others. She also oversees retail and distribution centers.
From 2020 to 2021, Sarah Mensah served as Vice President/General Manager of Nike Asia Pacific and Latin America, overseeing 15 countries including Japan, Korea, Mexico and India.
Previously, from 2015 to 2018, she held the position of Vice President/General Manager of Jordan Brand in North America. Initially appointed to drive the brand’s global strategy, she was quickly promoted to head of operations in North America, overseeing all aspects of the brand: sales, operations, finance, marketing and human resources.
Head of Strategy, Jordan Brand
Sarah Mensah joined Nike in 2013 and held the position of Senior Director of Strategic Planning for Nike/Jordan Brand until 2015. In this role, among other things, she led the development and implementation of a three-year global strategic roadmap to fuel superior medium-term brand growth in three key markets (North America, China, Europe). She also led the long-term vision and implementation plan for the Tokyo Olympics.
Prior to working for Nike, Sarah Mensah spent 19 years with the Portland Trailblazers, an NBA basketball team. From 2009 to 2012, she was the team’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this position, she increased the team’s sales by 105%, thanks to the “Rise with Us” multi-channel marketing campaign, which revitalized the brand. It also led to a 120% increase in the number of season tickets, thanks to the implementation of a fan loyalty system and an increase in ticketing staff capacity.
Sarah Mensah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from the University of Oregon, USA. She has received several accolades, including being recognized as a Women in Sports Business Game Changer by Sports Business Journal, named an Urban League Equal Opportunity Day Award recipient, featured on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women: “Ones to Watch” list, and most recently, recognized as a 2023 Oregon History Maker honoree by the Oregon Historical Society.
