Lee Bird, President of Nike's subsidiary brands, commented: "We understand Steve's decision and would like to wish him the very best for the future. There is real passion and commitment to driving the brand forward among the whole team at Umbro and Matthew Cook will provide the leadership to grow the business over the coming years, as well as integrating where required with the Nike brand."
Cook joined Nike from Price Waterhouse in January 1993 as Finance Director of Nike Italy. In 1995, he moved to Nike's world headquarters as Global Financial Planning Director. He returned to Nike Italy in 1997 as Footwear Business Director and became General Manager in 2000. Cook was instrumental in making Italy a leading market for Nike and also in securing sponsorship agreements with both Inter Milan and Juventus football clubs.