After spending 12 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Ed Policy is the heir to Mark Murphy’s presidential throne at 1265 Lombardi. Murphy spoke highly of Policy in a recent press release:
“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,”
“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.”
Murphy himself had large shoes to fill after taking the job in 2008 from Packers legend, Bob Harlan. Check out these newspaper clippings from Madison, WI publication The Capital Times when Murphy took over.
Football In His Blood
Edward (Ed) R. Policy, son of Carmen and Gail Policy, was born on October 6, 1970 in Youngstown, Ohio. Ed was born with deep roots in football. His father, Carmen Policy (pictured above), was Vice President & General Counsel for the San Francisco 49ers from 1983 until 1991 when he took over as CEO. Ed is now following in these same footsteps with the Green Bay Packers.
Carmen helped win 4 Superbowls during the 49er’s dynasty in the 1980’s. According to an article from Bay Area Sports Hall Of Fame (which Carmen was inducted into in 2017) former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said.
“Carmen played a critical role in the 49ers’ success during their record-setting Super Bowl years,”
“He provided visionary leadership and delivered forthright, wise, and consensus-building counsel. In his uniquely charming way, Carmen was fiercely competitive and protective of his beloved team and the city of San Francisco.”
High School Football & Ivy League Law School
Ed attended Cardinal Mooney High School, and played offensive guard and linebacker for the school’s football team. The Cardinals even won a state championship in 1987.
After high school, Ed would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in finance wth honors from Notre Dame, followed by a law degree from Stanford University.
Practicing Law & Arena Football
After college, Policy practiced law at Heller Ehrman in San Francisco followed by Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland. With Thompson Hine, his focus was primarily in sports facility construction. A skiilset no doubt, that helped in a big way while being a key player in the development of the Titletown District in Green Bay.
Policy would enter into his professional football career in 2001 via the Arena Football League.
In 2008 he became interim commissioner, and also earned a spot on the Sports Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list. Check out this great article below giving some insight on the future CEO from back in 2008.
Onward To The NFL
In 2009 Ed would sign on as an Executive Consultant for the NFL. He served as counsel up until the Green Bay Packers came calling in 2012. Ed became General Counsel to the Packers at that time, but it was clear even then that he was going to be a front runner for the role he is about to take in 2025.
Green Bay Packers Even Draft & Develop The Top Brass Internally
According to a recent Sports Ilustrated article, Chad Brinker, President of Football Operations for the Tennessee Titans, who worked for the Packers alongside Ed, had this to say about him.
“Ed’s a great fit for who the Packers have been and where they are headed.
In my mind, he is what Green Bay has been about, which is finding, training and developing talent, while also having a vision for the future. The seamless transition from Mark to Ed will be a great benefit to the Packers and their trajectory.“
The Search For A Replacement Begins
The search for Mark Murphy’s replacement began early last year via an executive committee, followed by a formal search committee that formed last May. They sifted through a list of 90+ candidates prior to an in person interview this month leading to Policy’s selection.
Over the past 12 years Murphy has mentored Policy, ensuring that he is familiar with all facets of the organization and ready to take the reins. Policy is currently the COO for the Packers, and will continue in that role until July of next year when Murphy hands him the keys to the cheesehead kingdom.
Check out this interview Ed had with St. Norbert College from 2015 discussing the Green Bay Packers development during his tenure.
The Future Of The Green Bay Packers Organization
Policy himself had this to say after accepting the role.
“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,”
This is the absolute best job in sports. We are the people’s team, and I love being a part of it.
We are the stewards of the most iconic and unique organization in all of professional sports. 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.“
My hope is that with this change in leadership, there will be a larger change in the Packers organization as a whole. I feel like it’s been a long time since the Green Bay Packers have effectively connected with fans above family night events etc.
Given his success with Titletown, and his roots in the midwest, I am full of hope that Ed will usher in a new era of expansion, while paying homage to the prestige that is the Green Bay Packers organization. He seems to be a family man with an eye for development, and a heart that bleeds green and gold.
Perhaps bringing in Ed will be the start of a new policy….
