Jeffrey Orridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeffrey Orridge
Orridge during first year as CFL Commissioner
Born	Jeffrey Lyndon Orridge 1960 (age 64–65) New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American-Canadian
Known for	CEO of TVOntario, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League Executive Director of CBC Sports General Counsel, USA Basketball

Jeffrey Lyndon Orridge (born 1960) is a well-known leader in sports and media. He is currently the CEO of The King's Trust Canada. Before this, he was the chief executive officer of TVOntario, which is a public educational TV network in Ontario, Canada. He started that role in November 2020 and left in July 2025.

Mr. Orridge also served as the 13th commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the first African-American person to lead a major sports league in North America. Earlier in his career, he worked as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Right to Play. He was also an executive director for CBC Sports.

Jeffrey Orridge: A Leader in Sports and Media

Jeffrey Orridge has had an exciting career. He has held important leadership roles in sports, media, and non-profit organizations. His work has helped many people and groups.

Early Life and Learning

Jeffrey Orridge grew up in New York City. His mother was a nurse and social worker. His father worked for the city's public transportation system. When he was younger, Jeffrey enjoyed sports. He participated in track and field and played basketball. However, a knee injury stopped him from playing basketball.

He attended the Collegiate School. After high school, he went to Amherst College. He earned a degree in psychology there in 1982. Later, he studied law at Harvard Law School and graduated in 1986.

Career Journey

After finishing law school, Jeffrey Orridge began his career in corporate law. He worked at a firm called Rogers & Wells. He then became an executive director at North General Hospital.

Leading Sports Organizations

In 1991, Mr. Orridge started working at USA Basketball. This organization manages the Olympic sport of basketball in the U.S. He was their first in-house lawyer. He left in 1994 to join Reebok International. In the late 1990s, he became a global sports marketing director for Reebok International. He also worked for Warner Bros. Consumer Products, managing sports licensing.

In the early 2000s, he was a senior vice president at Momentum Worldwide. He also served as chief marketing officer for OneNetNow. He was also a vice-president at Mattel Inc., working on licensing and new business.

In 2007, he became the chief operating officer at Right to Play in Canada. This group uses sports and play to help children in disadvantaged countries. He worked there until 2011. In April 2011, Mr. Orridge became an executive director for CBC Sports. He also managed the Olympics coverage for CBC.

In March 2015, Jeffrey Orridge made history. He became the 13th commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the first African-American person to lead a major sports league in North America. He stepped down from this role in June 2017. Jim Lawson took over temporarily. Then, Randy Ambrosie became the new commissioner in July 2017.

Working in Media

After his time with the CFL, Mr. Orridge became the CEO of TVOntario. This is an educational television network in Ontario, Canada. He started this role in November 2020. During his time there, the network had its first labor strike in over 50 years. He also oversaw the end of a long-running TV show called The Agenda with Steve Paikin. He left TVOntario in July 2025.

Jeffrey Orridge continues to be a leader. He is now the CEO of The King's Trust Canada.