Coco Kleinert named director, EMEA brand marketing, Nike Running

PORTLAND: From the football pitch at UCLA to the running boom in Europe: Coco Kleinert has never played a safe game. In August 2026, she became director, EMEA brand marketing, Nike Running, an on-site role based in Amsterdam, North Holland. She arrives with 13 years and four months at Nike behind her, and a record of turning consumer insight into brand heat.

Kleinert describes herself as a strategic marketer and global brand builder with a passion for storytelling and human connection. She is curious, collaborative and energised by turning consumer insights into ideas that drive brand affinity and business growth. An optimistic realist and enterprise leader, she shows up with light and levity, thrives in fast-paced environments and balances bold ambition with grounded execution, bringing clarity, energy and accountability to empower teams. With over a decade in global, geography and city roles, her expertise spans global brand management, brand strategy, product marketing, digital marketing, social media, athlete marketing, multi-channel content strategy, go-to-market planning and experiential consumer activations.

The Nike climb has been steady and wide-ranging. She joined in July 2013 as specialist, brand marketing, for Nike Women, Soccer and Training in the North America West territory, based in Culver City, California. There she led territory marketing for key sport categories in the Los Angeles and San Francisco market, building community and strengthening consumer relationships through major brand events and weekly programming that deepened affinity for Nike.

In November 2015, she was promoted to manager, brand marketing, global football, for Asia Pacific Latin America (APLA), a post she held until March 2020 from Portland, Oregon. She was tasked with establishing an innovative brand vision and product go-to-market strategies for a geography spanning Mexico, South America and Asia-Pacific. She integrated local athletes into global brand storytelling and managed territories through the 2018 and 2019 World Cups, with growth in key cities.

Running came next. From March 2020 to December 2020, as director, brand marketing, running, APLA, Kleinert led marketing for the category, driving growth through product sell-through, athlete-led storytelling and community connectivity. She designed digital and social campaigns with Nike athletes and coaches to deepen runner connection and fuel Nike Activity App engagement, and orchestrated end-to-end brand strategy across owned and partner platforms, blending product innovation, services and community to inspire holistic consumer health and spark a growing love for running.

The biggest brief followed. From December 2020 to May 2024, as director, brand marketing, women’s sports, APLA, she was named brand director of APLA women’s sport performance, driving brand, product and community strategies across fitness and training, running and global football to strengthen Nike’s position with the female consumer. She led launches of signature women’s product franchises, including Nike Sports Bras and Leggings, the Maternity Collection, Naomi Osaka’s apparel line, Club and Federation Kits and Luna Footwear. She also delivered world-stage campaigns, including World Cup 2023 and the launch of Nike Well Collective, that fuelled brand heat and inclusive consumer connection.

Global roles then widened the canvas. From May 2024 to September 2025, she was director, global brand management, Nike Kids, in Portland. From September 2025 to August 2026, she held the same title for Nike Training, again in Portland, before the move to Amsterdam.

Her roots are in sport and experience. Before Nike, she was account manager at On Board Experiential Marketing in Los Angeles from 2010 to 2013, directing cross-functional project execution, owning client relationships and budget management, and delivering KPIs through experiential consumer journeys that built brand and community connection. She was special events manager at Sports Spectacular in 2011, an athletic coach at The Archer School for Girls from 2010 to 2011, and a women’s soccer Division 1 student athlete at UCLA Athletics from 2005 to 2009.

The pattern is clear. Kleinert has moved from the touchline to the boardroom, and from football to fitness to running, always close to the athlete and the community. At Nike Running in EMEA, that blend of storytelling, women’s sport expertise and global scale now meets one of the sport’s most vibrant markets.