contract done: team has increased the intensity of adding a new, crucial player to the….
Kevin Warren wore more of a relaxed outfit than his typical suit and tie to the
NFL owners meetings last month because he had just arrived in Orlando,
Florida. He didn’t have time for lunch because of his early travels, so he ate
blackened shrimp salad in the back room of a Ritz-Carlton restaurant while
talking incoherently about the Chicago Bears.
The president and CEO of the Bears, Ryan Poles, has accomplished a lot, and
he didn’t seem to be bothered by the idea of spending three days in meetings
with NFL executives. He covered a wide range of topics related to the club,
including its pursuit of a Chicago stadium and Poles’ efforts as general
manager. Warren even expressed gratitude for the inquiries.
Warren has managed to work in such seemingly incongruous states in his first year on the job.
He moves between meetings with such enthusiasm and intensity that Bears
COO Karen Murphy finds it hard to keep up with him. Being far more
prominent and outspoken than his predecessor, Ted Phillips, about what he
wants for the organization and how he plans to obtain it, he is not scared of the
spotlight that comes with the new post.
A natural force, observed George McCaskey, chairman of the Bears.
However, McCaskey and Murphy noted that underlying the outgoing
enthusiasm and grind mindset lies a relationship-building skill—the capacity
to make others feel heard, valued, and inspired.
After almost four years as Big Ten commissioner, Warren began his tenure at
Halas Hall on April 17, 2023, and one area he felt needed improvement was
that of motivation.
Warren stated, “I got the impression that many of our employees needed to be
reminded of how fantastic this business is and that we are positioned for
success. That was one of the things that kind of popped off the page for me.”
“Our job must be intense. We must speak with each other. But our franchise is
a charter one.
In addition, we had a few incredibly gifted individuals. Thus, one of the things
I observed throughout our business is that we must ensure that we set high
goals for ourselves and are prepared to put in the necessary effort to achieve
them. However, it was acceptable for us to aspire to greatness and have enormous dreams.
Whether Warren and his audacious style will contribute to the Bears
accomplishing such feats is still up for debate.
Can he lead the team to building the much-desired closed-roof stadium on
Chicago’s lakefront? Will the team achieve better business as a result of his
overhaul of the senior staff? Will the Bears be able to overcome their long
history of on-field mediocrity under his direction with the Poles?
Although it’s too soon to respond to any of those, one thing is for sure: Warren
has had an impact after a year.
The most buzzed-about change off the field over the last year has been the
Bears’ publicly declared intention to shift from building a stadium on the $197
million property they bought in Arlington Heights to developing plans for a
lakefront stadium on Chicago’s Museum Campus.
At the owners meetings, Warren delved deep into why he believes that pivot is
right for the Bears and Chicago, touting what he thinks would be an economic
boost from having a year-round, closed-roof stadium near downtown.
But behind the scenes, another major shift has occurred. Warren has
revamped the executive staff, with the Bears steadily rolling out seven vice-
president-level promotions and hirings over the last six weeks.
