10 People Behind The Scenes At Jordan You Should Know

Because much of the public facade of Jordan Brand is restricted to the player that changed the game, many have come to believe it is a one-man show. But while Michael Jordan is certainly the essence of and reason for the brand, he has put together an amazing team that helps to keep the day-to-day operations of the business going. From designers, the marketing managers, to those that lead the Jordan Brand innovation team, the company, like any other shoe brand, has a team of world-class individuals behind the scenes that help keep the engine running smoothly. With performance becoming a major focus of the brand at the moment, here are 10 People Behind The Scenes At Jordan You Should Know and will who help shape the future of the brand that we all love so much.

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Title: Director of Entertainment Marketing

Part of the allure of a brand is about how "cool" it is. For Reggie Saunders, his job is to make sure you think wearing Jordans is cool. How would he do that? By making sure that the people you think are cool are laced in Jays. From Drake, to Kanye, to Jay Z, to Mark Wahlberg and Cedric The Entertainer, Reggie keeps them all laced with the latest kicks—oftentimes way before we have access to them. The toughest part? All the times he has to tell people no.

Title: VP, Global Brand Jordan Marketing Director

For you marketing majors out there that love sneakers, the guy you need to watch at Jordan Brand is Brian O'Connor. From getting athletes in front of you to the huge build-outs that you see in New York and Los Angeles, Brian is the guy behind it all. His job is to get you to look at Jordan performance product in a new way and get you to realize that you really shouldn't be playing in retros.

Title: Director of Communications

Though we hate to do it, we are going to pull the curtain back a little bit on the sneaker world. Though it may seem we are all knowing when it comes to sneaker brands, a lot of the information we get comes from people like Brian Facchini. From press releases about product to confirmations on release dates to clarification on technology and prices, as the Director of Communications, Brian's job is to make sure we get it right. Brian is also the guy that we go to if there is some sort of controversy about a product. Put it this way, he is in charge of "communicating" Jordan Brand to the public.

Title: International General Manager

Though he spends his days with Nike Sportswear now, it is hard to think back to the past 20 years of Jordan and not bring up Gentry Humphrey. His role at Jordan involved some of the biggest projects and his tenure there will be debated by sneakerheads for years to come. Though, we can't say we are mad at what he has done over at NSW over the past two years.

Title: Footwear Designer

Affectionally known as "JT," Justin Taylor has been behind the scenes creating some of the hottest performance sneakers out of Jordan Brand in the last few years. From the Melo M9, to the Super.Fly 2 and the CP3.VII, JT has been putting in work and has some really crazy stuff coming down the pipeline. Anyone remember the Jordan Esterno?

Title: Footwear Design Director

With 12 years of experience under his belt, Jason plays the role of Design Director at Jordan Brand which some may say is one of the most important parts of the brand. From colorways, to the overall aesthetic of a shoe, Jason is helping to guide the footwear design team reach new heights and create breakthrough designs like you have never seen.

Title: Global Innovation Design Director

Innovation is a key driver in our world and at Jordan Brand, they have Rob Bruce in place to make that happen. As the Global Innovation Design Director, Rob's job is to make sure the team is taking advantage of the best technology out there from the Flight Plate in the Air Jordan XX8, to the new rubber compounds for the outsole, to thinking differently about material choices for optimum breathability. And that is just scratching the surface.

Title: President of Jordan Brand

Next to Michael Jordan himself, all things go through Larry Miller. He is the leader of the brand and is in charge of helping the Jordan Brand grow. Larry actually served as Jordan Brand's president from 1999 to 2006 before leaving to become the President of the Portland Trail Blazers. Back in July of 2012, Larry returned to Beaverton to head the direction of Jordan Brand with the blessings of Michael Jordan.

Title: Vice President of Innovation

If there is one single person that most designers want to be when they grow up, it has to be Tinker Hatfield. The man started as an architect and ended up changing the way we look at performance sneakers time and time again. His latest efforts involve the Air Jordan 28 as well as the Melo M10 which has been seen floating around the web. Moving from pens and pencils to an iPad hasn't slowed him at all. As for his bona fides, well, almost every significant Nike of the past 25 years.

Title: CEO

OK, you know this guy. But while we are all familiar with the athlete Michael Jordan, we don't often see the businessman that he has become. In addition to being the greatest basketball player of all-time, Mike helps to run the company that carries his name. From approving designs, to taking part in business meetings, to helping shape the direction of the company, Michael is more than just a vivid memory in the minds of NBA enthusiasts, he is still actively participating in the shaping of the Jordan Brand you know and love today.