Application of Physiology in Product Innovation and Business Strategy Brad W. Wilkins, Ph.D. Science Director, Nike Digital Sport, Nike Inc.

Functions & Responsibilities My primary responsibilities are to Create, maintain, and communicate the scientific vision and research strategy for the Nike Digital Sport business Connect the scientific agenda, goals, and outcomes with product development timelines to ensure the application of research findings within the product development process Communicate the value of our research to Nike senior leadership to secure support, resources and funding for implementation of our research strategy Lead and mentor a group of scientists who carry out and implement the scientific agenda in a world-class research environment

Career Path Trajectory Participation in sports and a curiosity for optimizing sport performance led to interest in physiology Masters of Science in Exercise and Sport Science at Northern Michigan University Ph.D. in Human Physiology at the University of Oregon focused on integrated cardiovascular responses and adaptations to exercise and environmental stressors Four years of postdoctoral training (3 at Mayo Clinic) examining cardiovascular control during exercise and environmental stress Physiologist for Nike Sport Research Laboratory in Oregon Career progression within Nike led to current position as Science Director for Digital Sport Science Laboratory

Skill Sets Needed Insatiable curiosity Critical thinking Scientific rigor Passion for science Science communication skills for general public Business acumen is an important advantage for success Understanding consumer markets, product development, and business models are extremely helpful

Degree Needed Ph.D. not technically required However, all scientists in director positions of a lab at Nike have a Ph.D. There are scientists with master’s and bachelor’s degrees within the science laboratories at Nike with very successful careers

Training Opportunities Continuing education benefits Opportunities for exposure to –Engineering –Business –Marketing –Legal –Design experiences Research performed at Nike impacts all of these areas within business

Expectations Expectations for success are very high Success is not defined by grant funding and publication record Success is defined by general impact of research on the business Success within private industry is often quantified by ability to secure support, funding, and resources for exploratory research, communicating the business impact of the research, successfully carrying out the scientific agenda, and applying findings to further business objectives

Potential Obstacles The biggest obstacle in a private industry setting is maintaining and implementing a science agenda at the pace of the ambiguous business environment Changes in business strategy can be rapid, which is sometimes in opposition to the relatively slow maturity of a science strategy