Detroit — As life and career changes go, the timing was tough. Five years ago, Chris Ilitch took over as chairman and CEO of the Tigers — as well as the Red Wings — shortly after his father, Mike, died. The teams’ concurrent runs of playoff contention were over. Major decisions beckoned.
Chris Ilitch, now 56, assumed control quietly, but not apprehensively. He spent 40 years around his family as the Ilitch empire grew, from Little Caesars to the Red Wings, and then with the purchase of the Tigers in 1992. A graduate of Michigan’s business school, Chris navigated the corporate halls while his parents, Mike and Marian, became the prominent faces of Detroit development and sports.