NFL Senior VP/Consumer Products LEO KANE, one of the most powerful figures in sports licensing and one of the league’s most tenured execs, is leaving after approximately 23 years with the league. Kane’s impending departure was made official last week at the close of the NFL's fiscal year. Sources said Kane will stay in his job until after the April 28-30 NFL Draft in Chicago, adding that he will continue to consult with the league for an additional two years. His job is not expected to be replaced, sources said. “It’s been an incredible place to work and watch the business grow,’’ Kane said. “You want to leave the business better than when you came, and thanks to the hard work of a lot of people, I feel good about changing my status from full time to an advisor. And I believe we have left the business with a solid transition for our team and business partners.’’ Since August '14, Kane and NFL Senior VP/Consumer Products & Licensing CHRIS HALPIN have been at the top of the NFL’s consumer products group. Kane’s departure leaves the unit with a singular leader in Halpin, a member of this year's SBJ Forty Under 40 class. Kane’s tenure at the NFL has included the booming years of sports licensing in the '90s, which saw the business grow from millions to billions of dollars in retail sales; the emergence of the NFL sideline as a marquee for big footwear brands like Nike and Reebok; the boom and bust of the trading card category; and the emergence of technology and the internet, culminating in massive deals with the likes of Electronic Arts and Fanatics.
