Tom Lewand was named president of the Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...

 on December 29, 2008, after the team finished the first 0-16 season

Imperfect season

An imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...

 in NFL history.

He previously served as the Lions Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He succeeded Matt Millen

Matt Millen

Matthew George "Matt" Millen is an American former National Football League linebacker and a former executive. Millen played for the Oakland Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins. In Millen's 12-year NFL playing career, he played on four Super Bowl-winning teams...

 as the president. Millen served a dual role as president and general manager of the Lions before he was relieved of both duties in the middle of the 2008 season

2008 Detroit Lions season

The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...

 (Martin Mayhew

Martin Mayhew

Martin R. Mayhew is a former American football player and current General Manager of the Detroit Lions who was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the tenth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. A 5'8", 172 cornerback from Florida State University, Mayhew played in eight NFL seasons from 1989-1996...

 became General Manager

General Manager (American football)

In the National Football League, the general manager or GM of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the team during contract discussions with players....

). In his role as president, Lewand oversees all aspects of the Lions organizations.

In his formal education, Lewand holds B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 (1991), J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

, and M.B.A.

Master of Business Administration

The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...

 degrees (1996) from the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

. He is married with four daughters.