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The San Francisco 49ers announced Thursday the hiring of former Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew as a senior personnel executive.

Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group passed along the news from John Lynch, the Niners' new GM.

“My relationship with Martin spans more than two decades, and in that time I have developed a tremendous amount of respect for him both personally and professionally," Lynch said in the team's announcement. “Not only do we gain a tremendous talent evaluator, but also a highly experienced front office executive.

"Martin has sat in the seat as a general manager and his experience will play an integral role in helping us locate the type of football player we want representing this organization both on the field and in the community. I am excited to have him as a teammate once again.”

Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area provided further information about Mayhew, who most recently served as the New York Giants' director of football operations and special projects for the 2016 season:

The 51-year-old former NFL cornerback, who played for the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spent seven years as the Lions' general manager starting in late 2008.

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Detroit qualified for the postseason twice during his tenure after enduring an extended drought dating back to the 1999 campaign. They failed to survive Wild Card Weekend in either instance, however, and he got fired during an underwhelming 2015 season that seen the team finish 7-9.

Mayhew's arrival in San Francisco continues a trend of building an experienced staff around Lynch, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection who's making the jump from broadcasting to his first front-office gig.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reported last week the organization has provided him with a lot of support, including assistant GM Tom Gamble, vice president of player personnel Adam Peters, chief contract negotiator Paraag Marathe and now Mayhew.

"We're going to strive to create a culture where everyone's working together," Lynch said. "I think that's one of my strengths. It's something that I've done throughout my career is I've had an ability to bring people together.

"I've been out front oftentimes. I've been named captain. On a broadcast crew, you're out front, and I think that's a strength of mine. … That will be something that we all understand, that we're like-minded in our pursuit of winning a championship."

Although Mayhew's exact role with the 49ers wasn't immediately defined by Lynch, it sounds like most decisions will be a collective effort, at least in the rookie GM's early days in charge. That's where having so many experienced voices in the room will come in handy.