PHOENIX -- When Jeff Moorad joined the D-backs ownership group in 2004, one of the first people he talked to about joining the organization was Derrick Hall.

On Friday, Hall, already the club's president, replaced Moorad as the team's Chief Executive Officer after Moorad resigned to pursue his purchase of the San Diego Padres.

"I don't think I could have picked a more capable replacement," Moorad said. "Derrick is a great friend. I think he's demonstrated his leadership ability and business capabilities in his role as president of the organization. I commend [D-backs managing general partner] Ken Kendrick and the general partnership of the Diamondbacks for allowing Derrick to step forward and I'm quite confident that he'll be a terrific leader for the team."

Should Moorad's bid for the Padres not come to fruition, he will not return as CEO.

"Derrick is our CEO, we're proud to have him and we're going to move forward," Kendrick said.

Hall, who spent 12 years working for the Dodgers organization, joined the D-backs on May 23, 2005, as Senior Vice President, Communications and six months later also took over the team's marketing department.

In September 2006, he was named team president replacing Rich Dozer, who had held the position since the team's inception.

"Derrick has clearly demonstrated the ability to run a successful organization in his tenure as President of the D-backs and was an easy choice to promote to Chief Executive Officer," Kendrick said. "He's a hard-working, bright guy and I think he's the perfect candidate to step up."

Hall has become a favorite of Arizona fans for his accessibility. As part of his "one fan at a time" concept, the Arizona State University graduate answers every e-mail and phone call he receives and does a monthly online chat via the team's Web site.

For fans, the transition from Moorad to Hall should be seamless.

"I think it's business as usual," Hall said. "I think we've all had a shared vision that included providing the fans with the best fan experience and providing the fans with a team that can win on the field. That's not going to change."

The same could be said for how the baseball operations are expected to run with general manager Josh Byrnes now reporting to Hall rather than Moorad.

"Jeff did a terrific job of making sure that he did not micromanage baseball operations and that certainly won't change," Hall said. "We have experts in that department for a reason and they certainly know much more about baseball and the players than I do. I'll be here as a resource for them and as a sounding board and will help in making decisions when they need it and otherwise, I rely on them to make all the decisions to better the team on the field."

Hall, who serves on more than 20 Boards of Directors for non-profit organizations in Arizona, has become a fixture in the community along with his wife Amy and their three children.

That intense connection with the fans and community adds to the pressure Hall says he feels.

"It is a dream come true, but it's a tremendous amount of responsibility too," Hall said of his promotion. "This franchise is special to its fans and I certainly don't want our organization to ever let them down. It's still our goal to get back to the World Series and get another world championship for these fans. Really, that's what this is all about, pleasing the fans and making them proud of this franchise."