Chicago Bears name Kevin Warren as President and CEO

Chicago Bears have named Kevin Warren as their new team President and CEO.

 

Warren, 59, boasts 21 years of experience as an NFL executive with the St. Louis Rams (1997-2000), Detroit Lions (2001-03) and Minnesota Vikings (2005-19) and most recently served as Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference (2020-23).

 

Warren replaces Ted Phillips, who is retiring after 40 seasons with the Bears, including the last 23 as President and CEO. Warren becomes the fifth president in the franchise’s 103-year history—following George S. Halas, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., Michael McCaskey and Phillips—the first Black president in Bears annals and the first President and CEO hired from outside the organization.

 

“Kevin is a man of integrity, respect and excellence, all of which are critical core values of the Chicago Bears, and we welcome his perspective and diverse thought to lead this storied organization,” said Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey. “He is a proven leader who has many times stepped outside of his comfort zone to challenge status quo for unconventional growth and prosperity. In this role, Warren will serve in the primary leadership position of the franchise to help bring the next Super Bowl championship trophy home to Bears fans.”

 

“Kevin is going to be a tremendous resource and I am excited to get started with him,” said general manager Ryan Poles. “In my time spent with him during the interview process, it quickly became apparent his resumé and business acumen will be a powerful asset to helping improve our organization and ultimately reach our goal to be a championship organization.”

 

Warren will begin official club business in the spring.

 

“I am honored and recognize the responsibility bestowed upon me to lead the Chicago Bears during this exciting and pivotal time for the franchise,” Warren said.

 

“I look forward to building on the rich tradition that started with George Halas and connecting with the unique and vibrant fanbase in Chicago. I join the Chicago Bears with gratitude and drive to carry out and build upon the legacy and spirit of this founding franchise and my predecessors. This is a franchise that is respected in all of professional sports, and I am humbled to be selected as the next President & CEO of the Chicago Bears. I sincerely thank Virginia McCaskey, George McCaskey, the McCaskey family, Ted Phillips and the search team, for the responsibility and trust placed in me to lead the Chicago Bears and deliver championships to Chicago.”

 

“It was important to ensure the Bears had the right leader in place before I retired,” Phillips said. “Kevin will do an excellent job of bringing the best out of the great people at Halas Hall and continue the evolution of our proud franchise.”

Warren, who is an attorney, initially entered the NFL with the Rams, serving as vice president of player programs/football legal counsel from 1997-2000 before being promoted to vice president of football administration. He earned a Super Bowl ring when the Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.

Warren then joined the Lions as senior vice president of business operations and general counsel. He left Detroit in 2003 to return to his hometown of Phoenix to work for the international law firm Greenberg Traurig. In that role, he represented the Wilf family and Minnesota Vikings ownership group in what became a successful $600 million deal to purchase the franchise.

 

Wilf later hired Warren to work for the Vikings, a tenure that lasted more than two decades. He served as executive vice president of legal affairs and chief administrative officer from 2005-14 and chief operating officer (COO) from 2015-19. In Minnesota, Warren was the NFL’s highest ranking Black business executive and the first Black COO in league history.

 

As COO, Warren played an integral role in all business, financial, legal and operational aspects related to U.S. Bank Stadium. He was involved in the design, construction, business, legal and operational components of the new stadium, which opened in 2016 and hosted Super Bowl XXLI on Feb. 4, 2018.

 

Warren also played an instrumental role in the design, development and planning of Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the Vikings headquarters in Eagan, Minn. Under his leadership, the Vikings restructured their organization, with an emphasis on broadening the executive team and promoting women to key executive positions.

 

In 2013, Warren was named a member of the NFL Committee on Workplace Diversity, which is committed to promoting diversity at every level in the league. During Super Bowl LI festivities in Houston in 2017, he was honored with the Texas Southern University Pioneer Award, recognizing his groundbreaking role as an NFL executive and his commitment to championing diversity.

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