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Phil Knight (Nike)
Phil Knight (Nike)
Former NIke CEO Phil Knight
Retired 2004

The Nike founder's choice of a successor was surprising: William Perez, then the head of S.C. Johnson & Son, was an outsider. Perez only lasted a year. While Nike posted record sales during the period, Knight and Perez publicly clashed. After Perez resigned in 2006, Knight brought in a long term Nike veteran, Mark Parker, to replace him.

NEXT: Hank Greenberg (AIG)
Last updated February 17 2009: 1:35 PM ET
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