The Green Bay Packers have named Ed Policy vice president and general counsel, Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy announced Tuesday. An attorney with significant sports experience, Policy has an extensive background that includes work in professional football with the Arena Football League and NFL, and legal experience with sports facility construction and commercial real estate.
"We are excited to have Ed Policy become a member of the Green Bay Packers," said Murphy. "The NFL is an increasingly complex business with many legal aspects, and Ed's impressive skills and diverse experience will be very valuable to the Packers. He's a great addition to our senior staff and will allow us to continue to build upon our success."
"I very much appreciate the opportunity to join the Green Bay Packers, a hallowed organization with a great history and tradition," Policy said. "The NFL has been an exciting and prominent part of my life and I have always recognized that the Packers represent the very essence of why the NFL is America's passion. I'm eager to work with the progressive leadership of the franchise and contribute to the exciting plans and successes that are in the future. My family and I are looking forward to joining the Green Bay community."
Policy's professional sports experience includes nine years (2001-09) with the Arena Football League, including a period (2008-09) in which he served as commissioner, president and CEO. He also served as deputy commissioner and president (2006-08), chief operating officer (2004-06) and executive vice president-strategic league development and legal affairs (2001-04). During his tenure with the league, he oversaw all business and operations of the AFL, including strategic development, sales, finance, marketing, broadcasting, digital media, football operations, labor relations, events and human resources.
He also served as an executive consultant with the NFL (2009-2010), a position in which he advised and assisted NFL senior management in strategic and development matters and also worked with senior executives on special projects within various business areas.
Most recently, since September 2010, Policy served as president of a fully funded startup company that is developing a sports media and entertainment property.
"Ed's educational background and experiences in the AFL and NFL will greatly benefit the Packers organization," said Larry Weyers, Packers executive committee vice president and lead director. "He will add a new dimension to the staff and the executive committee, providing insights for our local development efforts and our interaction with the NFL. We look forward to welcoming Ed, his wife, Christy, and their two sons to Green Bay."
Prior to joining the AFL, the 41-year-old Policy practiced law at Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland (1999-2001), where his work included sports facility construction and commercial real estate, and also at Heller Ehrman in San Francisco (1994-99).
A Midwestern native, Policy was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's degree in accounting with an emphasis in finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1993 and a law degree from Stanford University in 1996.
Policy will begin his duties Aug. 1. He and his wife, Christy, have two sons, Carmen, 4, and Luke, 1.
Murphy also announced that Paul Baniel, Packers vice president of finance since 2009, is taking on additional duties as vice president of administration for the organization.
"Paul has been a valuable asset to the organization as both the team and the league have worked through some challenging economic times. We look forward to his expanded leadership role and his continued positive impact on our development efforts in and around Lambeau Field."
