Nike is making a leadership change at its iconic Converse brand following two straight years of double-digit revenue declines. In a companywide email obtained by the Portland Business Journal, Nike CEO Elliott Hill announced that Jared Carver is stepping down as CEO of Converse and will be replaced by Aaron Cain, currently Nike’s Vice President of Global Men’s.
Carver held the top job at Converse for about two years, having succeeded Scott Uzzell, who left Converse to lead Nike’s North American business but departed less than a year later. Cain, a 21-year Nike veteran who began his career with the company in 2004 as apparel strategy director, will now take the reins at Converse.
“As we shift to a multi-brand portfolio and continue to create greater distinction and dimension for each of our brands around sport, Jared has decided that having established a strong foundation and focused strategy for Converse’s path forward, and in partnership with me, that the time is right for the next chapter of the brand’s evolution,” Hill wrote in the internal announcement.
“Jared has decided that having established a strong foundation and focused strategy for Converse’s path forward, and in partnership with me, that the time is right for the next chapter of the brand’s evolution,” Hill wrote. “He has built a legacy that has set the course for the next phase of growth and opportunity for the brand.”
The memo noted that both Cain and Carver will work together through the end of July as part of the transition period.
Under Carver’s leadership, Converse’s revenue declined approximately 30%, falling from $2.4 billion in 2023 to $1.7 billion in 2025. Over the same period, Nike’s total revenue dropped by 9%.
As Nike begins its new fiscal year, Hill emphasized the company’s focus on revitalizing its performance-driven identity, telling analysts and investors that “the next step is aligning our teams to lead with sport through what we are calling the sport offense.”
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