In six weeks, Ed Policy will take over as president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers. Don’t expect big changes.
Policy, Packers’ chief operating officer, was selected to succeed Mark Murphy in May 2024, but maintained a low profile until now, when he met with the media to discuss his thoughts about the new job.
“I worked for (Mark Murphy) for nearly 13 years,” Policy said. “There are going to be a lot more similarities than differences. We both approach the importance of this job, especially the stewardship nature of this job; we take that very importantly. Obviously, we are a slightly different generation, different communication styles, we’re different people, but I don’t think there are going to be any real glaring differences.”
A burning question on the minds of fans (to say nothing of sportswriters) is whether Policy will maintain the structure created by Murphy that has the general manager, the coach and the vice president of football administration reporting directly to the president instead of the latter two reporting to the general manager. It was considered a radical change when Murphy did it in 2018, changing the formula that Bob Harlan put in place three decades ago when he gave general manager Ron Wolf undisputed control of football operations.
“In my opinion, it’s worked really well,” Policy said of the Murphy changes. “For me, it’s much more about the people than the structure. In all my years around the NFL, I’ve never seen the commissioner hand the Vince Lombardi trophy to a structure at the end of the season. It always goes to a person, because people win championships at the end of the day.”
Winning Super Bowls is Policy’s No. 1 priority
Winning championships, or more specifically Super Bowls, is Policy’s No. 1 priority, followed by making sure the Packers remain in Green Bay and that they work to strengthen the community.
Policy promised not to meddle in what the football staff does. “Certainly, no team needs two head coaches or two GMs. Not a lot of change in the way Mark had done that.”
He will meet with the trio more often than did Murphy to ensure they are talking to each other. “What I see the president’s role being in this kind of structure is to be the chief facilitator,” he said. “I see the president’s role as selecting football leadership, guiding them and giving them all the resources they need and supporting them, evaluating them and then ultimately holding them accountable.
“I think it’s important to let them do their jobs. These are exceptional people, all three of them.”
It’s not like they have to get to know one another. Policy was on the hiring committee for Brian Gutekunst as general manager and Matt LaFleur as coach, and he’s known salary-cap guru Russ Ball since both were in the Arena Football League in the early 2000s.
That said, Policy won’t hesitate to change the structure if he needs to. “We’ll do whatever it takes to win football games. If that means changing the structure, we’ll change the structure.”
Policy becomes president and CEO on July 25
Policy will assume the position of president and CEO during the annual shareholders meeting on July 25, after he’s elected to the team’s board of directors.
Unlike Murphy, who came into the position cold, Policy had a year-long transition as Murphy gradually handed over more of the president’s responsibilities.
“He’s had a great, I’d say role model, but Mark really did epitomize what a good leader looks like for this organization,” said Susan Finco, former Packers’ lead director and member of the search committee that recommended hiring Policy after a nationwide hunt that Policy said he did not take for granted.
As an executive committee member for nine years and lead director for four, Finco observed both Murphy and Policy in action.
“He gets the future, he has ideas, he is a collaborator, he’s as smart as can be,” Finco said. “I think it’s going to be a good transition. How that looks down the road from a leadership perspective, you have to allow somebody a little bit of time to settle into that.”
Policy was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, which, he said, was a lot like Green Bay; a working-class community, a football town and a good place to raise children.
Policy grew up watching his father’s work with the 49ers
His lawyer father, Carmen Policy, became involved with the 49ers when Ed was in grade school. The family home remained in Youngstown, where Ed graduated from high school, but he spent time with his dad in San Francisco, too, observing him negotiating contracts and performing other team business.
Policy received his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame and his law degree at Stanford. He worked in private practice for six years, but always with the view of getting into professional sports, though not as an agent, a path taken by many with law degrees.
When he was ready to make the move, Policy sought advice from Roger Goodell, who was not yet the NFL commissioner. Goodell suggested he would have to specialize in something to get a job with the league, but Policy wanted a broader background. Eventually, Goodell helped him sign on with the Arena Football League, whose commissioner, David Baker, became a mentor. Baker is the retired president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After the arena league ceased play in 2009, Policy became an NFL consultant on strategic initiatives, ownership issues, business and prep work for the 2010 collective bargaining negotiations.
After that, he indicated an interest in becoming involved at a team level and the Packers were on his short list. He did not know Murphy, but he knew of him, and both union and league members spoke well of Murphy, a former players rep and union attorney. When the Packers looked for a new general counsel, Policy was a candidate. Murphy said Policy knew the NFL and had some development experience, both of which were qualities the Packers prized. He said he was highly recommended by Goodell and others.
Policy gets the community, says former Packers lead director
“Ed is a very strategic thinker, and he is also very much on top of what are the trends, if you will, and factors influencing the growth or lack of growth, depending on what the topic may be, not just within the organization but in the NFL as a whole,” Finco said. “You have to have someone who thinks big, but still has the feel for the community. He gets our community. They love living here. He’s involved in things; I think you are going to see him involved even more.”
Finco said Policy, while not a player, lived a football life, and he and his family are firmly planted in northeastern Wisconsin.
“It’s very helpful to have a leader who knows what football is about, who knows the business side of things,” Finco said. “You can find one or the other. It’s hard to find people with both. And who has the respect of the league as well as those in the organization.”
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Ed Policy doesn’t plan major changes when he takes over as Green Bay Packers president and CEO
Reporting by Richard Ryman, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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