Mark Cohon
{{Short description|Former Canadian Football League Commissioner}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OOnt|MSM}}
| name = Mark Cohon
| image = 2009, Mark Cohon.jpg
| image_upright = 1
| caption = Mark Cohon in 2009
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|3|16}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| position1 = Commissioner
| height_ft =
| height_in =
| weight_lb =
| college = Northwestern University
| high_school = Upper Canada College
| administrating_years1 = 2006–2012
| administrating_team1 = Ontario Science Centre (Chair)
| administrating_years2 = 2007–2015
| administrating_team2 = Canadian Football League (Comm.)
| administrating_years3 = 2015–present
| administrating_team3 = Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Chairman)
| career_highlights =
}}
Mark Steven Cohon, {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OOnt|MSM}} (born March 16, 1966) is a Canadian businessman who is the chairman of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). He was also the 12th commissioner of the Canadian Football League. The son of McDonald's Canada founder George Cohon, he was appointed as commissioner in 2007 succeeding Tom Wright.{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/197005|title=CFL to unveil new commissioner|work=The Toronto Star|accessdate=March 28, 2007 | first=Rick | last=Matsumoto | date=March 28, 2007}}
Early life
Education
Cohon is a graduate of Upper Canada College and Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science majoring in communication studies.{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060502.gtsrtop40/BNStory/National/?pageRequested=all|title=Top 40 under 40|work=The Globe and Mail|accessdate=March 28, 2007|archive-date=April 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427021128/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060502.gtsrtop40/BNStory/National/?pageRequested=all|url-status=dead}}
Sports marketing
Cohon worked for the National Basketball Association as head of international marketing and Major League Baseball International as head of corporate development.{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E2DE1530F934A25752C1A9649C8B63|title= WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Suzanne Lucido, Mark Cohon|work=The New York Times|accessdate=March 28, 2007 | date=November 17, 2002}} He then became president and chief executive officer of AudienceView Ticketing, a company which sells ticketing systems and services to sports, arts and entertainment events.
Ontario Science Centre chairman
In 2003, Cohon was appointed to the board of trustees of the Ontario Science Centre and then named Chair in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/media/default.asp?releaseid=893|title= Minister of Culture names Mark Cohon New Chair of the Ontario Science Centre|work=Ontario Ministry of Culture|accessdate=March 28, 2007}} In 2013, he was made a Member of the Order of Ontario and in 2015, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.{{cite web|url=http://news.ontario.ca/mci/en/2013/01/25-appointees-named-to-ontarios-highest-honour.html|title=25 Appointees Named to Ontario's Highest Honour|work=Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration}}{{cite web|title=Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) Ceremony|url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=16274&lan=eng|website=The Governor General of Canada His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston|publisher=Governor General of Canada|accessdate=December 30, 2015}}
CFL commissioner
In 2007, Mark Cohon succeeded Tom Wright as the Commissioner of the Canadian Football League. Under the direction of Cohon the CFL went through a remarkable renaissance. From record TV ratings to the building of $2 billion in new stadiums to the expansion back to Ottawa, to overseeing two labour agreements to the national celebration of the 100th Grey Cup and finally to the tripling of TV revenues with a new contract with Bell media, Cohon is credited in bringing back the CFL to prominence in Canada.
In August 2014, Cohon announced that he would not seek a third term as CFL Commissioner, announcing that he had completed everything he set out to accomplish and it was time to seek new challenges in his career.{{cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/article/mark-cohon-will-not-seek-third-term-as-cfl-commissioner |title=Cohon will not seek third term as CFL Commissioner |publisher=CFL.ca |accessdate=August 21, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823040750/http://cfl.ca/article/mark-cohon-will-not-seek-third-term-as-cfl-commissioner |archivedate=August 23, 2014 }} He stepped down on January 9, 2015, and was replaced by board chairperson Jim Lawson on an interim basis.{{cite news|title=Mark Cohon reign over as Jim Lawson assumes duties as interim CFL commissioner|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/2015/01/08/mark_cohon_reign_over_as_jim_lawson_assumes_duties_as_interim_cfl_commissioner.html|accessdate=March 17, 2015|work=Toronto Star|date=January 8, 2015}} Jeffrey Orridge was appointed the new CFL Commissioner effective April 29, 2015.{{cite news|title=CFL names Jeffrey Orridge as new commissioner|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/2015/03/17/cfl-to-name-new-commissioner-today.html|accessdate=March 17, 2015|work=Toronto Star|date=March 17, 2015}}
Post CFL commissioner career
On September 29, 2015, Cohon was appointed as the new chairman of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), a non-profit organization responsible for "preserv(ing) and enhanc(ing) the Canadian music industry and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards" as well as overseeing the annual Juno Awards for the Canadian music industry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thatericalper.com/2015/09/01/mark-cohon-appointed-chairman-of-the-board-forcaras-the-juno-awards-and-musicounts/|title = Mark Cohon Appointed Chairman of the Board for CARAS, the JUNO Awards and MusiCounts|date = September 2015}} Given his success at transforming the CFL, the CARAS board wanted to bring in an experienced executive outside the music industry to transform the future of the Juno Awards.
Mark is also Chair of Toronto Global, an organization funded by three levels of government charged with promoting the Toronto region around the world and attracting foreign direct investment. The Toronto Global team led the RFP process for Amazon HQ2, making it to the short list of 20 North American cities and the only Canadian city on that list. Their Amazon HQ2 bid book was widely praised as a document that truly captured the excitement and growth that is happening in the Toronto region.
On the business front, Georgian Bay Spirit Co shows Mark as chairman and partner in that company. According to their website, they won best Vodka in the world at the San Francisco Spirits Competition and are producers of the best selling cooler in the LCBO, Georgian Bay Gin Smash.
Personal life
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090605024607/http://www.cfl.ca/writer/mark_cohon CFL.ca blog page]
- [http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/qanda-m-cohon.html Q and A with CBC Sports]
- [http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=753521766 Mark Cohon, first interview on "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos]
- [http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=740094478 Mark Cohon, second interview on "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos]
- [http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/06/13/mark-cohon-why-the-cfl-matters.aspx "Why the CFL Matters" (a blog by Mark Cohon on NationalPost.com)]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- {{Twitter}}
{{CFL Commissioner navbox}}
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Category:Canadian Football League commissioners
Category:Canadian people of American-Jewish descent
Category:Canadian people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
Category:Jewish Canadian sportspeople
Category:Members of the Order of Ontario
Category:Northwestern University School of Communication alumni
Category:Sportspeople from Chicago