Ed Policy named next Green Bay Packers Chairman, President and CEO
Mark Murphy to continue leading organization until July of 2025 with Policy to assume the role at next year’s Packers Annual Meeting of Shareholders
Jun 24, 2024
Edward R. Policy, the Green Bay Packers' chief operating officer and general counsel, has been elected as the organization's next Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, a position he will formally assume in July of 2025 at the Packers Annual Meeting of Shareholders when Mark Murphy officially retires from the role.
Policy, who's entering his 13th year overall with the organization and seventh as chief operating officer, was elected by the Packers Board of Directors as the franchise's 11th Chief Executive Officer Monday morning in a unanimous vote, upon recommendation of the search committee led by chair Susan Finco and vice chair Dan Ariens.
"Congratulations to Ed on this well-deserved promotion to what I believe is the most unique and meaningful position in the world of professional sports," said Murphy. "Ed has been a tremendous asset to the organization during his 12 years here and has been greatly instrumental in our success. 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.
"Thank you to the search committee for their thorough work in this process. I'm excited about this coming season and the future of the Packers."
Murphy will continue to lead the Packers over the next 13 months and will work with Policy during a transition period that will include the upcoming season and culminate in July of 2025. Additionally, Policy will remain in his COO role until that time.
"I am incredibly honored, excited and grateful to the search committee, the Board, the shareholders and the entire organization for this treasured and one-of-a-kind opportunity," said Policy. "I am particularly grateful to Mark for 12 years of mentorship. I am looking forward to building on his leadership and considerable success on and off the field.
"This is the absolute best job in sports. 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.
"We will continue our relentless focus on building a winning culture that transcends the playing field. 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.
"Twelve years ago, my wife, Christy, and I moved to Green Bay from New York City with our two sons. We embraced this community and it embraced us back even stronger. We love raising our family here. This is home."
The organization's expansive and inclusive search, which followed NFL guidelines that apply to team executive positions, began with initial work by the Executive Committee in early 2023 and continued with the formation of the search committee in May. A subsequent search process and timeline was established to follow NFL requirements that interviews with candidates currently in league and team positions occur only between the end of the NFL season in February through the start of training camp in July.
"Our Board thanks the search committee for the many hours of work they put into this process," said Finco. "Each and every member shared their expertise and valuable insights as we worked collaboratively throughout the search. We unanimously agreed that Ed Policy is an excellent person to lead our organization, has an inspiring and innovative vision of the future, and gives us great continuity of leadership that will allow for a seamless transition.
"We appreciate all that Mark does for the Packers and we look forward to the year ahead under his leadership, including an exciting football season and the 2025 NFL Draft next April."
The search committee worked through a list of more than 90 prospects, applicants and referrals, with a number of high-quality candidates considered from across the NFL, sports, business and entertainment. The committee then conducted virtual and in-person interviews in June which led to the recommendation of Policy.
"We had a responsibility to the organization, its employers and players; to our shareholders, fans and community, as well as the NFL: to conduct a comprehensive, inclusive search in order to identify the best candidate who can lead our organization into the future," said Ariens. "Ed brings incredible talents and skills to this role, as he has demonstrated throughout his career with the Packers."
The Packers Board of Directors search committee, in addition to Finco and Ariens, is comprised of Board Members who represent a diverse cross section of skills and industries. It includes Mike Simmer (treasurer, executive committee), DJ Long (executive committee, personnel and compensation committee), Marcia Anderson (executive committee), Karl Schmidt (executive committee), Michael Barber (Packers Foundation chair), Jeff Joerres (investment committee chair), Eddie Garcia (former player, board member at-large), Robyn Davis (board member at-large) and Mike Daniels (board member at-large).
Policy, in addition to directing the organization's legal affairs, has represented the Packers at the NFL level on legal matters and leads the organization's communications, marketing and fan engagement, sales and business development, security, and development and hospitality departments.
He also has led the club's endeavors to develop Titletown, a 45-acre mixed-use real estate development immediately west of Lambeau Field. Titletown maximizes its unique location to attract visitors, spur regional economic growth, offer amenities to residents and complement the greater Green Bay area's draw as an excellent location to live, work, play and visit on a year-round basis. A chief component of the development spearheaded by Policy is TitletownTech, a joint venture with Microsoft that consists of a venture capital fund, an innovation lab and a new-venture studio.
Policy's professional sports experience includes nine years (2001-09) with the Arena Football League, including a period (2008-09) in which he served as commissioner, president and CEO. He also served as deputy commissioner and president (2006-08), chief operating officer (2004-06) and executive vice president-strategic league development and legal affairs (2001-04). During his tenure with the league, he oversaw all business and operations of the AFL, including strategic development, legal affairs, sales, finance, marketing, broadcasting, digital media, football operations, labor relations, events and human resources.
He also served as an executive consultant with the NFL (2009-10), a position in which he advised and assisted NFL senior management in strategic and development matters and also worked with senior executives on special projects within various business areas.
Earlier in his professional career, Policy practiced law at Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland (1999-2001), where his work included litigation, sports labor relations, sports facility construction and commercial real estate, and also at Heller Ehrman in San Francisco (1994-99). He is a member of the state bars of California and Ohio, and a member of the Sports Lawyers Association. He is a three-time recipient of the SportsBusiness Journal's Forty Under 40 award in recognition of his achievements in sports business, and a member of the Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame.
A Midwestern native, Policy was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree with honors in accounting with an emphasis in finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1993 and a law degree from Stanford University in 1996. In the Green Bay community, he serves or has served on the boards of directors of the Brown County United Way, the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Discover Green Bay and the Green Bay YMCA, as well as on the community leadership council of Achieve Brown County.
Policy and his wife, Christy, have two sons, Carmen, 16, and Luke, 13.
— Green Bay Packers Press Release
