A longtime Nike executive who spent more than 25 years with the brand resigned earlier this week after a piece in Bloomberg Businessweek exposed a clear link to her son’s lucrative sneaker resale business.
Ann Hebert, a former VP and general manager with Nike, is the mother of a 19-year-old who owns a company called West Coast Streetwear that buys and resells limited editions of sneakers and clothing.
Though Joe Hebert and his team were reportedly able to make more than $20,000 in profits after spending more than $130,000 on hundreds of shoes, the teen said his mother had no association with his business and he did not receive “inside information such as discount codes from her.” He did, however, use a credit card in his mother’s name to buy sneakers for resale.
“Anything that’s releasing that I know I can make a guaranteed buck on, I’m gonna go full into,” the younger Hebert told Bloomberg. “That’s just my style.”
According to a Nike spokeswoman, the elder Hebert shared information about West Coast Streetwear with her former company in 2018 and was advised at the time by the apparel brand that there was no violation of company policy or conflicts of interest. “There was no violation of company policy, privileged information or conflicts of interest, nor is there any commercial affiliation between WCS LLC and Nike, including the direct buying or selling of Nike products,” according to the spokeswoman.
It was confirmed to CNBC that Hebert stepped down on her own accord. She had just been promoted to her role in the company’s North America division in April and oversaw sales, marketing, merchandising and other areas, according to a statement.
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