As the Chicago Bears kick off their offseason program, it also marks the start of a new era as Kevin Warren steps into his new role as the team’s CEO and president.
Warren, who served as the Big 10 commissioner for the last three years, replaces Ted Phillips, who is officially retired. While Warren’s term didn’t officially start until now, he’s been transitioning into the role since the day he was hired on Jan. 12.
“I think it’s been flawless,” Warren said back at the NFL owners meeting, via ChicagoBears.com. “Fortunately, I had this experience a couple years ago transitioning out from the Vikings to the Big Ten. And so really [I] tried to make sure that I brought in this environment, every time that I’ve seen someone transition or I’ve transitioned, to do it the right way.”
The team’s Twitter account shared a video of Warren arriving for his first day on the job, where he reported to Halas Hall at 5:47 a.m.
First day on the job 💼 pic.twitter.com/kIOfQdRzqd
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 17, 2023
Warren has 21 years of NFL experience, where he served in various roles dating back to 1997. He’s worked with the Minnesota Vikings as their executive vice president of legal affairs and chief administrative officer from 2005-14 and their chief operating officer from 2015-19.
During his time with the Vikings, Warren played a huge role in the development of U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016. That’ll be huge as the Bears look to start developing their new stadium in Arlington Heights.
Meanwhile, Phillips had served as the Bears’ president and CEO since 1999, where he’s been integral in Soldier Field renovations in the early 2000s, as well as the purchasing of the Arlington Heights property in 2021.
