Noel Kinder

Noel Kinder is a senior global operations executive who has over two decades of experience in shaping, transforming and building businesses. Having worked a distinguished tenure for global retail giant Nike, Noel navigated Nike through periods of significant change, culminating his successful career with the illustrious sportswear brand as the Chief Sustainability Officer of Nike. Renowned for positioning Nike as a leader in corporate sustainability, Noel has spearheaded engagement from active governments, NGOs, academics and media. With over two decades of experience in general management, government relations, strategic planning and supply chain management, Noel is now frequently sought after as a keynote speaker for corporate clients, imparting his wisdom on global sustainability operationalisation and integration. Having already delivered keynote speeches at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, Reuters IMPACT and the NASDAQ Leadership Exchange Roundtable, Noel Kinder is a keynote speaker who should not be missed.

A strategic, results-orientated and transformative leader, Noel Kinder has established a reputation for his continued passion for climate advocacy. Back in 1999, Noel joined Nike, working in a variety of roles from Production Creation Strategic Planning Director to Quality Analyst and Americas Regional Quality Manager of Footwear Product Integrity. In 2008, Noel was appointed his first of many pivotal roles, becoming the Senior Manager of Finance & Strategic Planning, Global Footwear for Nike. From that point on, Noel established a stellar reputation within Nike, later working as the Director of Strategic Planning, Sourcing & Manufacturing and the General Manager of Nike Vietnam. During his tenure as Vietnam's General Manager, Noel led expansion in the critical source country and steered operations during the anti-China riots back in 2014.

In 2016, Noel made the move into sustainability practices, as the Vice President of Sustainable Manufacturing & Sourcing. During his time in this role, Noel was responsible for the labour and environmental footprint of 550 contract factories in 42 countries, spanning an incredible one million workers. Driving stakeholder engagement and raising awareness of Nike’s commitment to human rights in the supply chain, Noel also had to navigate a significant period of unrest with anti-Nike NGOs. In 2018, Noel was promoted to Chief Sustainability Officer, working tirelessly to drive the creation and operationalisation of Nike’s sustainability strategy. He was also responsible for the shift of Nike’s perspective to “Make Athletes Better and Make the Planet Better for Athletes”. Noel was also a powerful spokesperson for the company and built the organisation from 75 to 300+ people at its peak. Aside from his successful tenure at Nike, Noel has also worked as an Executive Director of La Casa Del Futuro and a Volunteer for the United States Peace Corps. Currently, Noel is also committed to his roles as an Advisory Board member of Greenplaces and the Collab Fund and an Advisory Board Member of Greenplaces. Previously, Noel was also a Member of the Sustainability Advisory Council of the New York Stock Exchange and a Steering Committee Member of the Global Fashion Agenda. 

Noel is highly regarded as a gifted leader and communicator, praised for his skills in shaping culture and creating followership among both employees and stakeholders. Noel is highly regarded as an influential thought leader in the realms of sustainability, climate change and the environmental impact fashion has on the planet. Having led Nike’s “Move to Zero” initiative, Noel is also hired to share his expertise on becoming net zero and zero waste to help protect the future of our planet. Highly regarded for his pragmatic approach to operationalising sustainability around the world, Noel has previously been featured in publications such as Forbes, The New York Times, Fast Company, the Harvard Business Review and Business Insider. If you are looking for a distinguished expert on sustainability, who will educate audiences on how to adopt sustainable practices in their personal and professional life, hire Noel Kinder as a sustainability keynote speaker today.