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The Detroit Lions have hired former Pistons Sports and Entertainment COO Richard Haddad as their new president and CEO, the organization announced Wednesday.
“I am thrilled to join the Detroit Lions organization as its next President and CEO,” Haddad said in a statement released by the Lions. “I want to thank Sheila Hamp and the Ford family for their trust in me, along with Tom Gores and Arn Tellem for 14 great years with the Pistons. As a lifelong Lions fan, I understand firsthand how much this team means to this city and state, and I’m honored and humbled to lead this franchise. Sheila, Rod (Wood), Brad (Holmes) and Dan (Campbell) have built an incredible foundation, and I can’t wait to work with them to build on that and deliver for our fans and our community.”
Haddad, an Adrian, Mich., native who earned his bachelor’s degree in history at Michigan before earning a law degree at Columbia Law School, comes to the Lions after 14 years with Pistons Sports and Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons. During his time with PSE, Haddad helped spearhead the Pistons’ move from Auburn Hills to Detroit, the development, construction and opening of the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center and the organization’s efforts to bring a WNBA team back to Detroit.
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This hire was a long time coming. In February, the Lions announced that current president and CEO Rod Wood would be stepping down after roughly 10 years on the job. Wood has continued in his role since the announcement, which stated that he would stay on until a replacement was hired. Wood has been spotted often on the sidelines during training camp.
“Rich is a proven leader who understands what it means to steward an iconic sports franchise in the city of Detroit, and we are thrilled that he is bringing that experience to the Lions,” Lions Principal Owner and Chair Sheila Hamp said in a statement. “Throughout our process, Rich’s experience, steady leadership style, and grasp on the present and future state of team sports were clear differentiators. My family and I are excited to work with Rich on driving the Lions forward in our continued pursuit to bring a championship to Detroit.”
Haddad was chosen through an extensive national search led by Hamp, Wood, vice chairman Bill Ford, senior football advisor to ownership Chris Spielman, Lions chief people and inclusion officer Lindsay Verstegen and the advisory firm Russell Reynolds. Hadaad was recognized by Sports Business Journal as one of its “40 under 40” sports business executives in 2022.
He is expected to start in early September, and will wrap up his tenure with the Pistons over the next few weeks. Wood will remain in place to guide the organization until the transition is finalized.
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