John Donahoe
John Donahoe | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 30, 1960 Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | CEO of Nike (2020–2024), CEO of ServiceNow, CEO of eBay |
| Notable work | Leadership at Bain & Company, eBay, ServiceNow, Nike |
John Joseph Donahoe II (born April 30, 1960) is a prominent American executive who led Nike as CEO from January 2020 until October 2024. Early in his professional journey, he was employed at Bain & Company, where he advanced to president and CEO by 1999. Presently, Donahoe holds a position on the board of directors at The Bridgespan Group and serves as chairman of PayPal. In February 2017, he was appointed president and CEO of the cloud computing firm ServiceNow.
Donahoe was a trustee at Dartmouth College between 2003 and 2012.
In July 2025, he was named athletic director at Stanford University, with his tenure commencing on September 8.
Early life
Born in Evanston, Illinois on April 30, 1960, John Donahoe is the son of an accountant who worked for Price Waterhouse in Chicago. He completed his secondary education in 1978 at New Trier High School located in Winnetka. Donahoe earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Dartmouth College, where he was affiliated with the Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity. He further obtained an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. His heritage traces back to Irish roots.
Career
Following high school graduation, Donahoe gained experience working for a Schlitz beer distribution company and became a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Prior to joining eBay, he spent two decades at Bain & Company, culminating in his promotion to president and CEO in 1999.
In March 2005, he took on the role of president of eBay Marketplaces, overseeing eBay’s primary revenue-generating operations. Elevated to CEO in 2008, Donahoe directed more than 40 acquisitions, including Shopping.com, StubHub, and classified platforms such as Gumtree and LoQUo. After departing eBay in 2015, Devin Wenig succeeded him.
Donahoe assumed leadership as president and CEO of the software enterprise ServiceNow in February 2017, a company he had collaborated with during his time at eBay.
Between 2003 and 2012, he served on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College. In October 2019, it was announced that Donahoe would succeed Mark Parker as CEO of Nike, officially taking over on January 13, 2020. Despite experiencing significant losses and stock declines in 2024, he implemented a workforce reduction of 15% within Nike’s Oregon operations while maintaining compensation levels among the highest for U.S. CEOs.
He also held the position of chairman at The Business Council.
In September 2024, Nike disclosed that Donahoe would step down as CEO, appointing long-serving executive Elliott Hill as his replacement. Donahoe’s final day was October 12; however, he remained an advisor until January 2025.
Compensation
During 2023, Donahoe’s total earnings from Nike amounted to $32.8 million.
Political donations
Donahoe has financially supported candidates from both major parties, including Republican Congressman David Dreier from California and Democratic Senate hopefuls Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Barbara Boxer of California.
Personal life
He is married to Eileen Donahoe (née Chamberlain), who previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The couple has four children and lives in Portola Valley, California.