In this case study from our 2025 Global ERG Impact Report Eugenia Martelli, Co-Chair of Nike’s Latin & Friends network in the EMEA region shares her experience of how small employee networks can make a big difference.
Eugenia Martelli is the Stores Supply Chain Director for Nike in the EMEA region, and Co-Chair of the Latin & Friends (LAFN) employee network at Nike. Originally from Argentina, Eugenia moved to the Netherlands to study and started to work at Nike afterwards. The Netherlands is one of the company’s key global locations.
Eugenia set up the Latin & Friends network three years ago to create a space for people with a shared Latin heritage to connect. The network began with just 10 members and now boasts more than 500. She says, “Most of our members are first generation immigrants who moved from Latin America for work or have Latin roots in Southern Europe. We founded LAFN to create a space of belonging.
She adds, “There are cultural differences when moving to a new country and it’s important to have a space to talk about these and build networks locally. Sometimes someone will say “I am just happy I got to speak Spanish for the first time today.”
The LAFN network runs events throughout the year focusing on career and personal development. Eugenia says that everything they do has a Latin lens so members can unlock their full potential. “If we design a workshop, we make it really relatable to our members, for example, we may look at how to transmit our Latin expression to get our message across in a more concise way.“
LAFN also runs a Latin Heritage Month annually, with the aim of creating events and wider education in the company about Latin American culture. “The theme this year is “Unidos Con Corazón” which means united with heart. We hosted lots of events where we brought our love for Latin food into our food outlets with special dishes as a way for both our members to connect and also promote cultural awareness.”
There are 8 employee networks at Nike bringing together employees globally with diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas. Eugenia says her network works closely alongside these and with the DEI team. “We have multiple meetings throughout the month, and our goals are really aligned with theirs. As networks, we see ourselves as amplifying the DEI strategy.
One powerful example where the LAFN network has worked with the DEI and HR team is creating awareness on the pension policy provision for employees moving from their home residency to another country of work. Eugenia says, “We worked with the central HR team to provide information for employees to understand how this would apply to them. The change has reached employees in EMEA beyond our network such as teammates from Asia, so even though this work started with a Latin lens, it has had an impact on the entire EMEA community”.
The network has also done a lot of intersectional working and Eugenia says this can have a striking impact on culture change too. She cites working with Nike’s Women’s network on a series of workshops about financial management. “Speaking out about money is a bit of a taboo for women in Latin America. We brought in some financial advisors to provide an overall picture of the resources available so women can be empowered to take financial leadership in their own lives.”
She adds, “This is where I can see the longer term value of the network – I have a daughter and these are the things that I want her to know from day one.“
Externally, networks such as Latin & Friends are passionate about social impact work within the wider community. Eugenia says, “over the past few years, the network has collaborated with our social impact team, to make donations to local organisations in the Netherlands, who do great work supporting Latin communities. Separately, we also work together with our procurement teams by providing suggestions on new vendors to help expand the diversity in the pool of suppliers used in the organisation”.
Eugenia says, “Staff networks are driving a lot of great work at Nike. They not only create connection which is key to employee wellbeing but they drive engagement and are really good places where you can amplify the voices of members to make a change.”
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