Ratnakar Lavu, Nike’s Chief Digital Information Officer, stepped down from his role at Nike and has left the company, Nike’s Chief Operating Officer announced to employees in an email last month.
“We can confirm that Ratnakar Lavu is no longer at Nike,” the company said in a statement to Business Insider, which first reported the story.
Lavu had been with Nike since 2019 as the company’s first CDIO following a tenure at Kohl’s as Chief Technology and Information Officer.
Lavu’s departure comes as Nike, facing pressure from Wall Street, is amping up digital sales as a core part of the business. In January 2020, Nike’s CEO laid out an ambitious plan that puts greater emphasis on technology development as part of the direct-to-consumer business model.
Following the announcement, Nike’s number two technology leader held a call to discuss Lavu’s departure. Nike’s technology department has faced challenges, including high levels of employee dissatisfaction and employee turnover, especially in the first two quarters of 2022.
