Nike CIO Anthony Watson steps down: reports

It is being reported by Business Insider that Anthony Watson has stepped down as CIO of Nike, 10 months after joining the global sports clothing manufacturer and retailer.

Watson joined Nikeat their Portland, USA HQ in February of this year having been CIO at the Barclays bank retail arm since 2009. Business Insider reported that Nike PR rep Greg Rossiter had said to them: “I wanted to confirm that Anthony Watson has left Nike, Inc. for personal reasons.”

Watsonwas driving through a range of transformations at Nike both to its back end business technology operations and involved in Nike’s growing technology consumer operations through its Fitband wearable device.  Juniper Networks was amongst a number of new technology deals that Watson had struck or renegotiated since joining Nike.

In October Watson was ranked 19th in the Fortune 40 Under 40 list of young business leaders – Watson is 37. The list, as you’d expect in the US, features many influential technologists such as Marissa Mayer and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. In the same month UK business news heavyweight the Financial Times also listed Watson as 4th most influential gay business leader in its global list 100 of gay and lesbian business leaders.

Watson has featured in the top end of the CIO 100 for the last two years and in a interview with this title said banks had to become technology oriented and brands with fans like Apple, more here.