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The New York Times is continuing its coverage of human resources challenges at Nike, where six senior male executives have lost their jobs as a result of inappropriate behavior towards women.
Over the weekend, The Times reported on a Thursday all-staff meeting in Beaverton at which Nike CEO Mark Parker vowed to fix the company's toxic culture.
"I apologize to the people on our team who were excluded, and I apologize if some of those same people felt they had no one to turn to," Mr. Parker said, according to a transcript of Parker's speech the Times obtained. "I want everyone at Nike to know their voices do matter and your bravery is making us better."
That sounds like the right message and the fact that Parker is booting senior executives even as Nike struggles to meet the very ambitious financial goals he set in 2015 shows he's serious.
But for a company built on razor-sharp marketing and message discipline, the location of the CEO's mea culpa could have been chosen more thoughtfully.
The Times reported Parker summoned employees to the Tiger Woods Conference Center, a building named after the golfing legend whose admission after a bizarre 2009 car crash of philandering with a porn star, escorts and numerous other women toppled him from the pinnacle of his sport and cost him many of the endorsements that made him the world's highest paid athlete.