Hill, 60, was named Nike's new CEO on September 19.
He has worked in the company since the late 80s, aside from the last four years, which he spent retired.
From there, he moved up in the ranks about every two years on average, from management to director to vice president.
Still, if you ask Rohan Verma, a San Francisco-based executive coach and former senior executive at LinkedIn, it's doable.
General Motors' CEO Mary Barra, Walmart's CEO Doug McMillon and Costco's CEO Ron Vachris each moved their way up from entry-level positions, Verma points out.
Persons:
It's, Elliott Hill, Hill, Rohan Verma, it's, he's, Verma, Mary Barra, Doug McMillon, Ron Vachris
Organizations:
Nike, LinkedIn, CNBC, General Motors
Locations:
San Francisco