As President & Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco 49ers, Jed York overseas all aspects of the organization. York is in his third year in his current position and has made bold decisions to return the team to its winning tradition and ultimate return to the Super Bowl. York recognizes and shares the ongoing passion of the team’s faithful fans.
BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
As President & Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco 49ers, Jed York overseas all aspects of the organization. York is in his third year in his current position and has made bold decisions to return the team to its winning tradition and ultimate return to the Super Bowl. York recognizes and shares the ongoing passion of the team’s faithful fans.
York is spearheading the team’s plans for a new state of the art stadium for 49ers fans. This year, the plans made significant steps forward with a certification of the Environmental Impact Report and the overwhelming victory of Measure J which authorizes the plans to move forward with a new stadium in Santa Clara, CA. The team’s goal is to open the new stadium in the 2014 season where it will quickly be known as the world’s premium sports and entertainment venue in the world.
York has taken every step possible to improve the team’s performance on the field. York directed the organization to undertake a major renovation of the 49ers practice facility in Santa Clara to significantly enhance the team’s weight room, locker room, and team meeting rooms in order to give the players the tools they need to be successful. York also has added the 49ers Café, a 3,700 square foot onsite cafeteria where a private chef prepares dietary cuisine to help the players maximize their potential. Likewise, he bolstered the team’s football affairs and alumni outreach departments, led by former 49ers linebacker and four-time Super Bowl champion Keena Turner, to help the players better themselves off the field and prepare for life after football.
RECOGNIZING THE 49ERS FAITHFUL
A 49ers fan since birth, York recognizes that the success of the 49ers hinges on the team’s faithful fans, and he is committed to honoring them for their passion and enthusiasm. Perhaps his most popular move as President was to direct the organization to create new uniforms for the 49ers that connect the team’s future aspirations to its championship glory years of the 1980s and 1990s. He also created a new ticket sales and services department to give each season ticket holder a personal representative and point of contact within the organization. To give fans a forum to interact directly with the team’s leaders, he instituted a public “State of the Franchise” meeting for season ticket holders, where they have an opportunity to listen to the team’s plans for the future and ask questions of the 49ers management team.
Under York’s leadership, the team instituted a new 49ers hall of fame to commemorate the significant accomplishments of some of the team’s biggest stars. Named for his grandfather and the beloved patriarch of the 49ers, the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame automatically inducted those 49ers greats that have either had their jersey numbers retired by the team or have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, upon its creation. York shortly thereafter announced the Hall of Fame’s inaugural inductee, his uncle, Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., who was enshrined during the 2009 season.
CARRYING ON THE FAMILY’S LEGACY
York’s roots with the 49ers run deep. He is the oldest child of Denise and John York, the co-chairmen of the team. York’s uncle and godfather, Eddie DeBartolo, also known to fans as “Mr.D”, has long served as a mentor.
York began his career as a financial analyst at Guggenheim Partners, a diversified financial services firm. He worked in the firm’s New York office in several areas, including private wealth management, hedge funds risk analysis, and collateralized debt obligations.
Born and raised in Youngstown, OH, York was a student athlete at Cardinal Mooney High School, where he was captain of the baseball team as well student body president. After high school, York decided to carry on a family tradition by attending the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in both finance and history. York was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honors Society.
York credits his parents, his uncle Eddie, and his grandfather Edward DeBartolo Sr. as being positive role models and for teaching him character values such as integrity, a strong work ethic, and respect for others. He is pleased to carry on his family’s commitment to community by serving as a board member at the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA and Tipping Point Community.
Besides his tremendous passion for the 49ers, York enjoys traveling, fishing, and playing cards, which he learned from his grandfather.
