Ed Policy’s leadership era with the Packers now has a start date, and three major challenges come with the job

The Green Bay Packers organization will go through big changes soon. On July 25 at the shareholders meeting, president/CEO Mark Murphy will officially pass the torch to Ed Policy, who will take over the franchise following the team's internal rules. Murphy had to retire after his 70th birthday, and the current COO was chosen earlier this year to replace him.

"We are the stewards of the most iconic and unique organization in all of professional sports," Policy said back in June. "I am excited to continue to work with so many talented teammates who have ensured the Packers' consistent success on and off the field. We are the people's team, and I love being a part of it."

Mark Murphy, a former NFL player, spent almost two decades leading the Packers. He was hired as the president and CEO back in 2007, and leaves the organization with a Super Bowl ring and massive improvements off the field for the franchise as a brand and within Green Bay's community.

"Ed has been a tremendous asset to the organization during his 12 years here and has been greatly instrumental in our success," Murphy pointed out. "His work on Titletown has been particularly impactful. He is highly respected – both in the building and within the NFL. I've enjoyed working with him and am confident he will be an excellent steward for the organization."

It's hard to replicate what Murphy did, and Policy will have some specific challenges when he takes over.

International expansion of the brand

For most of Murphy's tenure, the Packers didn't have a strong presence, nor interest, in expanding much internationally, despite the league as a general forcing their hand. The Packers did have two international games in the United Kingdom and Brazil, but the trend is things will get much bigger over the next few years.

This year, the Packers finally entered the NFL Global Markets Program, being granted rights in Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. That doesn't mean playing elsewhere all the time, but instead taking strategic steps to make strong partnerships and increase the Packers' brand across the globe.

Hiring good people

If things go right, Ed Policy will be in his position for 16 years, until his age forces him to retire just like Mark Murphy is doing now. Even if general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur are super successful, it's reasonable to think that Policy will have to make the next hirings at these top positions for Green Bay.

But it's not only those. Current executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball, who manages the team's cap, is 65. Other leaders inside the organization will also eventually move on. And this is the one thing Mark Murphy was great at. He hired Gutekunst, LaFleur, and Ball, amongst several others who have led this era of the Packers. Realistically, Policy is the man who will choose the next era of leaders.

New models of football consumption by fans

Think about how different life was when Mark Murphy took over in 2007. The biggest social media in the US was MySpace, cable TV was reaching its peak, and Netflix was just transitioning from a DVD-by-mail company to a streaming service.

Now, think about what the world will look like in terms of technology 16 years from now. The NFL is handling this evolution and how younger generations consume the sport. The transition is in place, with the league making agreements with companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Google.

Ed Policy will be the Packers' representative in those discussions, and they can take the Packers and the entire league to a completely new level.