Kadeja Gaines-Roy

Commander
DISC Type : D

Director, Data Science: Forecasting at Nike

Sudbury, Massachusetts, United States

Overview

Kadeja is a Director of Data Science at Nike with a background in scaling $500M+ businesses and leading transformations at Fortune 500 retailers like Target. She is an expert in leveraging advanced analytics and AI/ML to drive value. She holds credentials from Harvard Business School and the University of Notre Dame.

Outside of her corporate role, she is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame, where she designs and teaches curricula focused on professional development. Kadeja is also a passionate fitness trainer at B/SPOKE Studios, demonstrating a commitment to coaching and wellness.

She once led a cross-functional initiative at Target that saved the company $89 million through supply chain innovations.

Personality Overview

Risk-Taker

Impact-Driven

Decisive

They put a lot of effort into ensuring personal success.  They are less concerned about the product and more about its potential impact. They prefer to move quickly, and expect the same from others.

Topics They Care About

Data Science in Retail
Her career is focused on integrating AI/ML capabilities into financial, operational, and assortment decisions for major retail organizations like Nike and Target.
AI/ML Adoption
A key part of her role involves building trust with senior leadership to drive the adoption of analytical capabilities and automated intelligence across the business.
Leadership & Mentorship
As an Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame, she teaches professional development. She also holds a Certificate of Management Excellence from Harvard Business School.

Media Appearances

Kadeja has no verified media appearances

Work History

10-2025
Director, Data Science: Forecasting at Nike
5-2025 - 10-2025
Director, Adoption & Program Management: Insights, Data Science and Analytics at Nike
6-2022 - 5-2025
Director, Analytics Success at Nike
8-2024
Adjunct Professor at University of Notre Dame
1-2017 - 1-2021
Trainer at B/SPOKE Studios

Education

8-2025 - 5-2027
Master of Science - MS from University of Notre Dame
2019 - 2021
eMBA: Program for Leadership Development (PLD30) from Harvard Business School

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 15 Location : Sudbury, Massachusetts, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director, Data Science: Forecasting at Nike
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Insights For Selling To Kadeja

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending time doing small talk
  • Use phrases like ‘it’s your decision’, ‘strategic impact’ etc.
  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points without becoming too analytical

DONT's

  • Do not spend too much time focusing on product tech or features
  • Avoid being a storyteller and don’t try to oversell
  • Do not hesitate from asking counter questions, just avoid challenging their authority

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Kadeja is

  • Confidence in impact is paramount to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Kadeja

  • If they are not convinced, they will have no hesitation in telling you the same.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Kadeja move?

  • If convinced, they can reach decisions quite fast.
  • Can Kadeja take some risk or not?

  • They do not shy away from taking risks, but can be quite binary about them.

You And Kadeja

Personality Compatibility


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