Son Christopher rises to fill Ilitch’s big shoes

Christopher Ilitch’s ascension within the company founded by his parents has been highlighted in the wake of his father’s passing, but it’s a rise that has been underway for more than a decade.

Ilitch Holdings Inc., with interests that include the Little Caesars Pizza empire, professional sports teams and entertainment venues, released statements in May detailing plans for succession once founders Mike and Marian Ilitch stepped away. Those plans appeared prescient with Mike Ilitch’s death Friday at age 87.

The succession plan announced in May centered on a desire for Ilitch Holdings to remain “100 percent Ilitch-family owned.” And it affirmed Christopher Ilitch as the successor to his…