Can he propel the franchise to its coveted construction of a closed-roof stadium on Chicago’s lakefront? Will his revamping of the executive staff push the team to better business? Will his guidance of Poles help the Bears pull out of their yearslong state of mediocrity on the field?

It’s too soon to answer any of those, but one thing is certain: One year in, Warren has made an impression.

‘Different shapes and sizes’

The most buzzed-about change off the field over the last year has been the Bears’ publicly declared intention to shift from building a stadium on the $197 million property they bought in Arlington Heights to developing plans for a lakefront stadium on Chicago’s Museum Campus.

At the owners meetings, Warren delved deep into why he believes that pivot is right for the Bears and Chicago, touting what he thinks would be an economic boost from having a year-round, closed-roof stadium near downtown.

But behind the scenes, another major shift has occurred. Warren has revamped the executive staff, with the Bears steadily rolling out seven vice-president-level promotions and hirings over the last six weeks.

When Warren took office with the Bears, McCaskey told him, “You need to have the people in place that you believe in, and that will support you to take us where we want to go.”

Warren set out to assemble, in his words, a “strong human capital base” through his strategy of “keeping, empowering, acquiring and educating” the most talented people he could find.

Murphy, who has been with the Bears for 25 years, including previously working under Phillips, was the first big promotion.

Warren named her executive vice president of stadium development and chief operating officer on March 5, at that moment making her the highest-ranking woman in the organization under owner Virginia McCaskey. Warren touted Murphy’s stadium experience, financial acumen and global thought process.

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