fter years working in the world of toys and games, Atherton resident Peter Harris is moving up into the biggest game of them all -- professional sports.
Last Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers named Harris as their new president and CEO, hoping to give the team some experienced leadership from the business world while also putting an end to the turmoil at the top that has plagued the organization in recent years.
Locally, Harris has devoted a great deal of time to the Phillips Brooks School in Menlo Park, where his three sons are enrolled. He has served on the Board of Trustees for the past three years, and also played a key role on the school's Campaign Committee, helping procure an extended lease for a new location sought by the school.
Head of School Beth Passi referred to him as a "problem-solver" and "a strong board member, one whose opinion I value extremely highly."
With the 49ers, Harris' toughest task will be to revive the stalled Candlestick Point stadium project, which has essentially been dead since the legal troubles of former owner and president Eddie DeBartolo surfaced in late 1997.
"The 49ers, along with the entire National Football League, are moving into a new era of competition," said 49ers Vice President John York. "The times call for new thinking and a leader with exceptional business expertise. With Peter, we have the right leader at the right time."
Harris made his reputation in the 1980s with his rejuvenation of FAO Schwartz, rescuing the toy store chain from financial trouble and placing it back atop the toy industry. He left the company in 1992 and moved on to become CEO of Accolade, a video game publisher, before serving as CEO of The Picture People, a mall portrait-taking chain, from 1995 until his recent appointment.
