Chicago Bears CEO complimentary of his replacement
By Peter Jurich
After Kevin Warren’s introductory press conference at Halas Hall, current Chicago Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips took the time to answer the media’s questions and was very complimentary towards his replacement. Phillips, who announced his retirement in September, will be a key part in helping Warren get started with the Bears, and it seems that there is a lot of mutual respect between the two executives.
Ted Phillips discusses new Chicago Bears executive Kevin Warren
Phillips, who was part of the search committee for the Chicago Bears’ next President and CEO, said that Warren stuck out for multiple reasons. Phillips stated that “[Warren] has the ability to make tough decisions, and he listens to people, gets their input, and he is rock-solid when there’s pressure. He’s had a lot of pressure, both at the Vikings… and the Big10 as well”. Additionally, Warren’s resume speaks for itself, as Phillips added that “having Kevin have the NFL experience and stadium experience definitely were added bonuses that not many people had”.
Outside of Warren’s experience with stadium projects, one of the new CEO’s main focuses in Chicago, Phillips was complimentary of Warren’s work with the Big10 during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying “[Warren] has been in this environment, he’s been in a pressure cooker with the Big10… he’s had to deal with 14 different chancellors, 14 different athletic directors, everybody with a different agenda and a different idea on how to do things… and he has navigated that really well and produced results”.
Phillips, who was in attendance for Warren’s introductory press conference, expressed that “I thought [Warren] knocked it out of the park. He showed so much passion and energy and love for the Bears, which came through in his interviews… and I can tell he’s getting so excited to get started”.
Phillips, who was the first team president outside of the McCaskey family, emphasized Warren’s qualities that made him the first outside hire to the position in team history, stating that “you can feel [Warren’s] energy and passion just listening to him, so I’m excited about him infusing that energy and passion into the club and everything we do… He is a high-energy guy who has an incredible work ethic. I’ve never met anyone who works as hard as he does”.
Being an executive who has not been with the Chicago Bears before, Phillips stressed the unique views that Warren brings to the front office, explaining that “[Warren] will bring a new energy and a new perspective… in a way that will be great for the franchise”.
Both Phillips and Warren emphasized the importance of people and relationships within the Chicago Bears front office, as the current CEO stated that “I’ve been here for so many years… the most important thing, and [Warren] touched on it, is building trust and rapport with the staff that’s here, listening to their input, and I know he’ll do that because he’s done that everywhere he’s been”.
As the transition process from Phillips to Warren gets underway, it seems safe to say that the Chicago Bears, and Phillips himself, are comfortable with the new executive taking over as president and CEO.