The Chicago Bears have promoted Karen Murphy to a newly created position: executive vice president of stadium development and chief operating officer.
Murphy has been with the Bears since 1999 and for the last eight years has been the senior vice president of business strategy and chief financial officer.
The Bears said in a statement that in her new role Murphy will work with President and CEO Kevin Warren to “drive forward the Chicago Bears’ long-term vision and strategic objectives of developing a new, world-class stadium for Chicagoland.”
The Bears are weighing options for a new stadium. They have proposed a $5 billion development for a closed-roof stadium and entertainment and housing complexes on the site of the old Arlington International Racecourse. But amid property tax disputes over the 326-acre Arlington Heights property they closed on last winter, the Bears have explored other options, including a site adjacent to Soldier Field, where they currently play.
“Karen is an exceptional and innovative leader and has been a positive force for both the Chicago Bears and the National Football League,” Warren said in a statement. “When I joined the Chicago Bears in April of 2023, I had a primary focus on fortifying our front-office leadership team and cultivating a culture of exceptional talent, diversity, innovation and hard work. From the moment I met Karen, it was clear that she was an individual who would focus on being excellent every day and operate with a championship mindset. Karen will do an exceptional job as we work collaboratively on building a stadium for the Chicago Bears.”
Murphy, who grew up in Wisconsin, played a large role in the Bears’ 2003 renovation of Soldier Field and the Halas Hall renovation and expansion projects in 2013 and 2019. The Bears said Murphy’s “visionary leadership has driven the club to leverage technology as a competitive advantage, integrate analytics into decision-making processes and prioritize the recruitment, development and retention of top-notch and diverse talent.” She launched the Bears’ business analytics department.
She will continue to lead across multiple departments — finance and accounting, stadium and event operations, building operations, information technology, purchasing and innovation, the Bears said.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to lead an operation that has the power to change the trajectory of this storied franchise and how fans experience the game of football in Chicago,” Murphy said in a statement. “I have always loved the game of football and the City of Chicago, and I bring that passion to work every day. I have the privilege of continuing my work for a world-class team and alongside Kevin and the rest of the organization, to create and execute on a vision that brings a state-of-the-art stadium and Super Bowls to Chicagoland.”
Under Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, Murphy is the highest-ranking woman in the Bears organization. Two years ago, Murphy spoke with the Tribune about her goal of becoming an NFL team president.
“I am always researching, both from a leadership side and a more technical business side, what are the best companies doing out there?” she said then. “And that’s not necessarily just in sports. The best companies, how are they leading people? What’s important to inspire teams of people? And how best do we hold people accountable? And how are we infusing both art and science in our decision-making?”
