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posted 07/25/2007
The search committee leading the selection of the next chief executive officer of the Green Bay Packers met for the first time on Wednesday morning, officially launching a process that includes working with the executive search firm Spencer Stuart.
Peter Platten, a member of the team's Executive Committee and chairman of the search committee, said the process has no definitive timeline, but the initial discussions have centered around the background the search committee is looking for in a new CEO.
"We want to emphasize that we look forward to finding the best possible person to lead the Green Bay Packers franchise into what we really consider a very challenging future," said Platten, noting that all 11 members of the search committee are or have been CEOs in their careers.
"There are quite a few characteristics that we're looking at right now. The search firm will interview all 11 people on the search committee and will give a composite of what everybody thinks."
Some of the key characteristics include knowledge of the NFL and its labor relations, including the collective bargaining agreement, salary cap and revenue sharing. The current CBA with the players' union could be re-opened by either side as soon as next year.
Another trait that has been discussed is familiarity with the Packers and the unique qualities of both the franchise's place in the sports world and its relationship to the community and fans.
Ultimately, the committee will have to establish its priorities, and Platten didn't rule out the possibility of an in-house promotion to the top job. But the complexities of NFL business and the abrupt departure from the original CEO succession plan led the Executive Committee to seek the assistance of Spencer Stuart.
"It's uncommon for us," Platten said. "This is the first time we've ever done it. But the business of professional football is getting so complex that we felt we had to take a look throughout the country to find the best person. The best person may be right here, but we don't know that yet."
Platten and Packers Chairman Bob Harlan both noted that Spencer Stuart has helped other professional sports franchises with similar searches, and they believe the firm's assistance will leave no stone unturned. Platten and Harlan said they've already received 12 to 15 inquiries about the position.
"When I went through to find someone (to be general manager) like a Ron Wolf or a Ted Thompson, I knew a long time ahead of time what I was looking for and had a list prepared," Harlan said. "This came up rather suddenly, so the search firm becomes very valuable, and these folks are very, very strong in sports management. They'll be a big plus for us, very helpful."
Harlan said the issues the new Packers CEO will face in the near future will be very important, beginning with the possible re-opening of the CBA in 2008. There's also the challenge of remaining in the upper half in the league in revenues with a handful of new stadiums opening in the coming years, creating new revenue streams for other teams.
But there also could be issues no one can predict, like some Harlan faced during his 18-year tenure as the team's principal executive.
"Go back about 12 years when I was sitting in this chair," Harlan said. "If somebody told me we'd have to leave Milwaukee or we'd have to re-do the stadium to remain competitive or we'd have a stock sale that added 106,000 new shareholders, I'd say I don't think any of those things are going to happen, and they all happened.
"So who knows what lies ahead. All I know is that it's becoming a more complex league, and ... you need someone who's not going to be shy and not be afraid to attack it."