Packers name next president and CEO, taking over for Mark Murphy, who hits mandatory retirement age next July
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers chief operating officer and general counsel Ed Policy will take over as the team’s president and CEO next year following the retirement of Mark Murphy.
Policy, the son of former San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns president Carmen Policy, will assume the role when the NFL’s only publicly owned franchise holds its shareholders meeting in July 2025. That’s when Murphy, the Packers president and CEO since 2008, reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.
The Packers announced that their board of directors unanimously elected Policy on Monday after a search committee recommended him.
“This is the absolute best job in sports,” Policy said in a statement released by the team. “We are the stewards of the most iconic and unique organization in all of professional sports. I am excited to continue to work with so many talented teammates who have ensured the Packers’ consistent success on and off the field. We are the people’s team, and I love being a part of it.”
Policy, 53, joined the Packers as vice president and general counsel in August 2012 and was promoted to COO in January 2018.
Policy was the Arena Football League commissioner, president and CEO from 2008-09. He was with the AFL from 2001-09 in a variety of roles. He also was an NFL executive consultant from 2009-10.
He practiced law in San Francisco (1994-99) and Cleveland (1999-2001) before getting into football administration.
Policy’s roles with the Packers have included directing the team’s legal affairs and leading the team’s communications, marketing and fan engagement, sales and business development, security and hospitality departments.
He also helped lead the development of Titletown, a 45-acre real estate development just west of Lambeau Field.
“We will continue our relentless focus on building a winning culture that transcends the playing field,” Policy said. “The Lombardi Trophy will always be our North Star and ensuring a positive impact on our community will continue to be paramount in our decision-making. We have the greatest fans in sports and will never take their commitment to the Packers for granted.”
The Packers said their search committee went through a list of more than 90 candidates before conducting virtual and in-person interviews earlier this month.
“Ed has been a tremendous asset to the organization during his 12 years here and has been greatly instrumental in our success,” Murphy said in a statement. “His work on Titletown has been particularly impactful. He is highly respected – both in the building and within the NFL. I’ve enjoyed working with him and am confident he will be an excellent steward for the organization. In the coming year, he and I will continue to work closely together to ensure a smooth transition for our employees, players and fans.”
TOP PHOTO: FILE – Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy, right, introduces the NFL team’s new general manager, Brian Gutekunst, during an introductory press conference in Green Bay, Wis., Monday, Jan. 8 , 2018. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)