It didn't take long for those in attendance to see what Kansas City Chiefs' Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt had seen all throughout the interview process.

On Monday afternoon, Brett Veach, who had most-recently served as the Chiefs' Co-Director of Player Personnel, was introduced as the seventh general manager in franchise history.

The methodical approach that has made Veach a standout NFL personnel guy over the past decade had shown itself by him confidently, carefully, and genuinely answering every question during his introductory press conference.

It was the same approach Veach had taken to his first interview for the position with Hunt, which took place a few weeks ago in Dallas, Texas.

"It was about a four-hour interview," Veach explained. "It was long and there was only one break, but when I got back to Kansas City, I didn't hear anything for like six days, so I was like, 'Man, I probably screwed that up.'

"A week later, [Hunt] called me and had some follow up questions."

Following that call, which lasted about an hour, Veach said he and his wife, Allison, perked up every time the phone rang.

"It was funny because [Hunt] called a couple of other times before the actual call in which he offered the job," Veach explained. "When she knew he was calling, she was like, 'Is that the one?'

"I was like, 'No, not yet. Not yet."

For Hunt, who had known of Veach before this process as "somebody who loved football and loved watching tape, and somebody who'd had a big impact on our drafts the last couple of years," the process of ultimately landing on his in-house candidate wasn't without doing his due-diligence.

"We evaluated more than a dozen candidates and interviewed some outstanding personnel executives," Hunt explained. "After going through the process, it was clear that Veach was the right person for the job. I am confident that he will do an outstanding job of leading our personnel department. He has a sharp football mind, a tremendous work ethic, and a keen eye for finding talent."

Veach, who was going through the interview process for a general manager position for the first time in his career, also did his due-diligence in making sure he was prepared for whenever that time did come. He said he got some advice from an old co-worker and a guy who also recently went through a similar process.  

"Actually, Chris Ballard," Veach explained of who helped him prepare for his interview. "He reached out and we talked a while. He's great. He sent me a bunch of information. It was funny because last summer, going into the 2016 season, I was in the office and Chris would always tell me, 'Just work on your portfolio, Brett. You're gonna get a shot, and you never know when it's going to happen.'

"So, when this all went down, Chris called me and said, 'Hey listen, I know you already worked on that portfolio, but here's some more stuff, and when you get that opportunity, this will help when you meet in front of Mr. Hunt.'

"Chris was awesome."

Veach said he was at his house in Lee's Summit when Hunt called with the official offer.

After talking and sharing the news with his family, which includes his daughter, Ella, and twin sons, Elijah and Wylan, Veach's next call was to his high school coach at Mount Carmel (PA)—Dave Williams, and then to the other co-director of player personnel with the Chiefs and one of his closest friends, Mike Borgonzi.

Within three hours of being announced as the Chiefs' new general manager, Veach said he had heard from every scout in the Chiefs' personnel department.

"They were excited," Veach explained. "Again, we've worked together for four years and keeping this thing going was big for all of us. They were genuinely excited, and I'm equally as excited to continue to work with them."

Veach first entered the NFL as a training camp intern with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004, and would later serve as Andy Reid's assistant from 2007-09, before moving permanently to the personnel side of things in 2010 as a Pro and College Scout. He was promoted to Southeast Regional Scout (2011-12) before joining the Chiefs as a Pro and College Analyst (2013-14).

"10 years ago, Andy Reid took a gamble on hiring a former intern as his assistant," Veach explained. "Although we didn't talk much the first few months working together, we quickly developed a strong relationship. I obviously learned a lot of football from him over the years, but as many of his current and former players will tell you, [Reid] teaches you more about life than the game of football.

"Much of the work he gave me back then (with the Eagles) was centered to the personnel side, so I grew a very deep passion for player evaluation and roster composition. And then obviously coming (to Kansas City) and my last four years here—really falling in love with the city, falling in love with the players here—this opportunity means everything to me."

Despite the obvious connection and indebted past with Reid for Veach, there's no hesitancy for Veach, who often spoke Monday of having strong opinions, in telling Reid if he disagrees with an assessment.

"If you know [Reid], he likes to surround himself with people who work hard and challenge him," Veach explained. "I don't think he'd have had respect for me if I was saying, 'Yes, yes, yes,' for 10 years. I think my ability to go in there and challenge him in different areas raised his game. And I think that he always understood that, when I came to him with an idea, with a solution to a problem, that it was well-thought out and well-researched. We have a great deal of trust and respect."

"You get the best out of you when somebody is pushing you and challenging you," Reid added. "I am going to tell you, I am not always right. That is not how I go into this at all. I listen and I try to surround myself with good people on the coaching side.

"Tell me what you think and let's go. That is the only way we are going to get better."

For a team that's had four-straight winning seasons, three playoff appearances in four years and is defending an AFC West title in 2017—there's every reason for Veach to feel like he's in a position to succeed right now.

"We have a great coaching staff, a great locker room, and great players," Veach explained. "When you are in this line of work and you are with these guys day in and day out, they are like family members. We understand each other, and they know me and what I bring to the table. I'm all about trust and respect. Nobody has all the answers to everything. There's a lot of good information out there, and at the end of the day, you're only as good as the people around you.

"There's going to be challenges, and I'm going to make mistakes, but I'm going to learn along the way. One thing about me that you'll get to know very quickly is that I'm not afraid to work, and I'll do whatever we need to do to keep this thing headed in the right direction.

"I'm just extremely honored and humbled to represent the Chiefs."