Dave Mondor ‘ 78
FROM THE MATH TEAM TO FOUR DECADES AT NIKE
Speaking with Dave Mondor ‘ 78 , three things stand out . He ’ s smart , an incredibly hard worker , and people want him on their team .
The TA alum retired from Nike last October , capping a run of more than 40 years .
“ I started at Nike at the Blue Ribbon Sports office in Saco during the summer between my junior and senior years of college and never left ,” says Dave , who worked in General Ledger / Cost Accounting that summer . After he returned to Bentley College for his final year , Nike called . They offered him a job after graduation and asked if he could immediately begin working weekends . develop his math skills , eventually earning a perfect score on the SAT and admission to Bentley . Dave also received several TA scholarships , which he said helped with college expenses .
After 3 years as a Cost Accountant at Nike , Dave was approached to interview ( for three jobs ) at the company ’ s Oregon headquarters . His first plane ride brought Dave 3,000 miles to Oregon and an Accounting Manager position in Nike ’ s nascent Apparel division , which was shifting from a focus on promotional giveaways to its own business line .
Later , Dave was offered three jobs – in Mexico , Asia , and the Netherlands , where he landed . Nike was moving its European headquarters from Germany , and Dave was part of the team that spearheaded that effort . Both of his children were born in the Netherlands .
As Dave moved up the ladder at Nike , he earned a reputation for an outstanding work ethic , something he learned from his family . “ I was
Ironically , college or a career in accounting hadn ’ t been on Dave ’ s radar prior to his days at Thornton . He credits teachers Dominic DiBiase and Travis Belton , and the TA Math Team for helping
A handwritten note of congratulations Dave received from Phil Knight , co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike .
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