Maria Eitel

Maria Eitel (born June 26, 1962) is the founder and Co-Chair of the Nike Foundation, where she works to advance the work of The Girl Effect, of which she is the founder and Chair.

Before working at the Nike Foundation, Eitel was the first Vice President for Corporate Responsibility at Nike Inc.

Eitel graduated from McGill University in Quebec in 1983 with a B.A. in Communications and French, and later earned a master's degree in Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1988. In 2001, she completed the Stanford Business School Executive Programme. She holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Babson College.

Early career

Eitel began her career as a journalist, and later progressed to become Deputy Director of Media Affairs at the White House. In 1992 she was appointed to the role of Special Assistant to the President George H.W. Bush.

NIKE

In 1996, Life Magazine published an article implicating Nike in the use of child labor in Pakistan. Following the findings, Nike hired Eitel as the first Vice President of Corporate Responsibility.

Nike Foundation and The Girl Effect

In 2004, Eitel became founding President of the Nike Foundation.

After a year exploring the Foundation's potential focus, a girl in Ethiopia inspired her to focus the Foundation exclusively on adolescent girls in developing countries. Eitel is credited with creating the theory "The Girl Effect" - based on the idea that adolescent girls have the unique potential to stop poverty before it starts. Eitel leads the Foundation's efforts to put girls on the global agenda with the goal of eradicating global poverty.

Since taking on the role at Nike, Eitel has become a recognized voice on gender equality, featuring in Fast Company's League of Extraordinary Women. President Barack Obama praised her passion "for engaging and mobilizing citizens in social change."

Eitel has worked with numerous partners to support the work of the Nike Foundation, including the Novo Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative. To support the Girl Effect, actress Anne Hathaway traveled to Africa with Eitel in 2011.