Lions’ new president and CEO Richard Haddad joins team from Pistons

The Detroit Lions have hired ragged Pistons Sports activities and Recreational COO Richard Haddad as their new president and CEO, the gang introduced Wednesday.

“I am glad to hitch the Detroit Lions team as its next President and CEO,” Haddad discussed in a statement launched via the Lions. “I are making an attempt to thank Sheila Hamp and the Ford circle of relatives for their trust in me, along with Tom Gores and Arn Tellem for 14 mountainous years with the Pistons. As a lifelong Lions fan, I understand firsthand how nice this workforce strategy to this town and pronounce, and I’m venerated and humbled to guide this franchise. Sheila, Rod (Wooden), Brad (Holmes) and Dan (Campbell) have constructed a fantastic foundation, and I can be able to’t wait to paintings with them to provide on that and raise for our fans and our neighborhood.”

Haddad, an Adrian, Mich., local who earned his bachelor’s level in historical past at Michigan faster than earning a regulation level at Columbia Legislation Faculty, involves the Lions after 14 years with Pistons Sports activities and Recreational and the Detroit Pistons. The entire association by which via his time with PSE, Haddad helped spearhead the Pistons’ transfer from Auburn Hills to Detroit, the style, developing and opening of the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Efficiency Heart and the gang’s efforts to boost a WNBA workforce again to Detroit.

This hire became as soon as a in reality very long time coming. In February, the Lions introduced that recent president and CEO Rod Wooden would in all probability possibly smartly smartly be stepping down after more or less 10 years at the task. Wooden has persisted in his characteristic since the announcement, which said that he would prevent on until a metamorphosis became as soon as hired. Wooden has been noticed normally at the sidelines the entire association by which via coaching camp.

“Wealthy is a showed leader who understands what it strategy to steward an iconic sports activities actions franchise on the town of Detroit, and we’re glad that he’s bringing that will have to the Lions,” Lions Very important Proprietor and Chair Sheila Hamp discussed in a statement. “The entire association by which via our task, Wealthy’s revel in, same old control style, and deal with the display and long run pronounce of workforce sports activities actions have been constructive differentiators. My circle of relatives and I are livid to paintings with Wealthy on using the Lions forward in our persisted pursuit to boost a championship to Detroit.”

Haddad became as soon as selected via an massive national seek led via Hamp, Wooden, vice president Invoice Ford, senior soccer consultant to ownership Chris Spielman, Lions leader folks and inclusion officer Lindsay Verstegen and the advisory corporate Russell Reynolds. Hadaad became as soon as said via Sports activities Endeavor Magazine as regarded as one among its “40 underneath 40” sports activities actions trade executives in 2022.

He is expected to originate in early September, and would in all probability possibly smartly wrap up his tenure with the Pistons over the following few weeks. Wooden will stay in blueprint to guide the gang until the transition is finalized.