Elliott Hill started at Nike as an intern in 1988 but steadily scaled its ranks, banking on values of grit and hard work ingrained in him as the son of a single mom in a working class Texas neighborhood.

Nike said John Donahoe will retire as chief executive and from the board, and named his successor, Elliott Hill, who retired from the sneaker maker in 2020.

Nike says Elliott Hill will replace John Donahoe as CEO in October. Nike has struggled to turn around its business over the last year.