Nike CEO who oversaw controversial Kaepernick ad campaign is stepping down

Nike's CEO Mark Parker, who oversaw the controversial ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, is stepping down from the company regarded as the world's largest sportswear company.

Parker has overseen Nike as CEO for more than a decade, and will step down in January, but will continue as executive chairman.

Parker made several statements in support of the ad campaign that many saw as tacit approval of the former NFL quarterback's kneeling protest during the national anthem before football games.

"We feel very good and are very proud of the work we're doing, we've seen record engagement with the brand," he said in September 2018. "We know its resonated actually quite strongly with consumers, obviously here in North America but also around the world."

Parker was also associated with other scandals at Nike, including one where he appeared to be approve of a Nike-backed coach seeking to develop performance enhancing drugs that wouldn't trigger doping tests, according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Former female employees of the company also claimed that there was a culture of gender discrimination and sexual harassment.

Parker denied that his departure had anything to do with the various scandals plaguing the company under his leadership.

Here's a video about the CEO's departure:

Nike CEO Mark Parker to step down in 2020www.youtube.com