The Athletic

Hello, I'm Mark Chapman.

Welcome to the Business of Sport podcast on The Athletic.

Matt Slater with us as usual.

And our guest today is Garyary cook who over the course

of a 30 year career has held executive positions at nike where he led the jordan brand he was also the

CEO of premier league side manchester city helping to secure the 210 million pounds takeover by the current

owner shaked mansour and more recently he's been working in e-sports, trying to bring the Ryder Cup to

Lancashire and advising on club takeovers, including Chris Kirchner's attempt to buy

Derby.

There is a lot to get into with you, Gary.

Just start, though, by, I've given a brief summary there of your career. Just expand on it a little bit for us, please. Yeah, Gary. Just start though by, I've given a brief summary there of your career. Just to expand on it

a little bit for us, please. Yeah, sure. Well, my executive career started actually in the United

States, Mark. I got myself into the sporting goods industry after I went to Los Angeles back in the

late 80s. I ended up working for various companies, but joined Nike in 1996 and

stayed with them until I came to Manchester City in 2008.

And at Nike, my last position was president of the Michael Jordan brand.

I think pretty much most people around the world will know that one, living all over the world

with them. And then Manchester City, of course, well documented for the good and the bad, of course.

And then I went off to the UFC, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and we sold that in 2016.

And I moved back to a place I fell in love with, which is Cheshire here in England.

Let's start with Nike and Jordan.

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