Nike has appointed longtime in-house lawyer Ann Miller as executive vice president and general counsel, replacing veteran legal leader Hilary Krane, who will retire from the role next month. 

Krane announced her decision to step down after nearly 12 years leading the Beaverton, Oregon-based company’s legal function. She joined from Levi Strauss in 2009 and most recently also served as the sports brand’s chief administrative officer and executive vice president as well as general counsel. 

Miller, meanwhile, has more than a decade of experience as a company lawyer at Nike, including seven years as vice president, corporate secretary and chief ethics and compliance officer. She joined Nike in 2007 as in-house counsel and later became vice president and general counsel of Nike subsidiary brand Converse in 2012, according to a statement. 

In her previous roles at the company, Miller was responsible for leading all corporate governance and external reporting matters at Nike and its subsidiaries, including overseeing legal support for Nike’s supply chain. She also led Nike’s global ethics and compliance programme as well as its privacy, digital product and technology matters. 

Miller began her legal career as an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell in 1999 and later moved to Paul Hastings in 2005, where she was a senior associate. 

John Donahoe, Nike president and CEO, said: “For more than 14 years, Ann has been a proven Nike leader who has made significant contributions to the company that helped extend our position as the world’s leading sports brand.” 

Donahoe said Miller’s “combination of executive leadership, passion and legal and business expertise” made her an ideal leader for “such a critical role” in the company. 

Other recent in-house moves by Nike have included the appointment of former Minnesota Vikings associate counsel Samuel Aintablian II as assistant general counsel for sports marketing in August. The company also hired tax attorney Jeremy Abrams from Reed Smith as director of controversy and policy in June.