Download Jeffrey L. Orridge Biography

Jeffrey L. Orridge, Esq.
Professional Biography
With extensive global leadership experience, Jeffrey Orridge has demonstrated the ability to function
seamlessly in multiple roles, lead effectively across diverse geographies and cultures, manage crossfunctional business units, and develop people for best of class international organizations in various
industries. His unique multi-dimensional background has provided breadth and depth of perspective
allowing him to find critical pathways to quickly identify solutions, create value, drive results, and
establish enduring business relationships.
In his current role as Head of Sports and General Manager, Olympics for the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation, Jeffrey is responsible for the overall strategy, acquisition, management, revenue
augmentation and program execution of marquee sports properties. Most notably, in his role as chief
strategist and negotiator, he successfully secured the media rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games,
the 2015 Pan Am/ Parapan Games as well as the 2018 and 2020 Olympics. Jeffrey structured a multiyear sub-licensing agreement to preserve and amplify the Hockey Night In Canada broadcast and brand.
Under his direction, the 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2014 FIFA World Cup achieved record setting
broadcast reach, digital consumption, and profitability.
Jeffrey is a “no limits” strategic thinker, adaptable leader, and versatile teammate who identifies, creates,
and improves opportunities. He brings success, vision, innovation, and integrity to all endeavors. A
graduate of Harvard Law School, Jeffrey possesses more than 20 years of executive level experience
with both international and domestic Sports, Entertainment, Media, Consumer Products, and Not-forProfit companies. His ability to build brands, businesses, teams, and relationships resulting in significant
improvement, growth, and profitability has been consistently demonstrated in myriad of business and
cultural environments.
Strategic and tactical, analytical and improvisational, Jeffrey possesses functional expertise in the areas
of strategic partnerships, brand development, contract negotiations, integrated sales and marketing,
licensing, operations, strategic planning, athlete and celebrity endorsements, and business unit
management.
As the former Chief Operating Officer and Head of Global Business Development for Right To Play
International, Jeffrey was giving back while helping to move the organization forward. As the leading
athlete-driven non-profit using sport and play based programs to improve the lives of children, the
organization’s operations extend across more than 20 program countries and six fundraising countries
spanning four Continents. By being both beneficiary and investor focused, he blended his integrated
marketing and operational acumen to achieve sustainable value creation. Managing through crisis and
complexity and continually improving process and delivering concrete results were the hallmarks of his
tenure. Jeffrey has been responsible for overseeing the creation and execution of the organizational
Strategic Plan (2007-2012), annual operational planning and budgeting, revenue generation, country
portfolio management , and cross-functional team design and development. Extensive travel throughout
Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean throughout his career has allowed for advanced
cultural sensitivity and heightened his communication skills.
A natural and innovative leader focused on excellence, Jeffrey was an architect in the development and
launch of the USA Basketball (“Dream Team”) and the Warner Bros. Sport brands; he also spearheaded
and managed the international expansion of Mattel’s Consumer Products Boys and Entertainment
division. A synergistic combination of visionary and implementer, Jeffrey thrives in “intrapreneurial”
environments, being entrepreneurial for the employer.
Prior to joining Right To Play International, Jeffrey began his tenure at Mattel as Vice President of
Worldwide Licensing for Boys and Entertainment. Under his direction, the division reached almost $400
million in sales, expanded into Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia, launched new product
categories, broadened distribution channels, penetrated new markets, and became a global business.
Later, he would assume the roles of Vice President, Entertainment and New Business Development and
Vice President of Corporate Strategic Planning where his ability to improvise, build relationships and
use analysis to answer complex questions resulted in market expansion, organizational improvement,
and growth opportunities for the company.
Mr. Orridge began his professional career as an associate with the corporate law firm of Rogers and
Wells. Having been a varsity basketball and track athlete in college, Jeffrey soon applied his legal and
business acumen to his love of sports and entertainment.
As the first General Counsel for any Olympic National governing Body, Mr. Orridge had primarily
responsibility for building the USA Basketball brand in partnership with NBA Properties. As head of
legal and business affairs, Jeffrey oversaw all marketing, licensing, sponsorship, advertising, and
product development aspects for the first “Dream Team”, receiving the 1992 Sports Marketer of the
Year award on behalf of USA Basketball.
After USA Basketball, Jeffrey joined Reebok International as Counsel for Worldwide Marketing and
Advertising. Among other accomplishments, he is recognized for his principal involvement in landmark
agreements with the National Basketball Association and the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Properties.
Promoted to Director of Global Sports Marketing at Reebok, his responsibilities included brand, athlete,
and product marketing with primary focus on turning around the Shaquille O’Neal business unit,
developing all international basketball initiatives, managing the National Basketball Association multilevel partnership and providing direction for multi-cultural marketing efforts.
Mr. Orridge was then recruited to head the newly formed Sports Licensing division for Warner Bros. He
successfully launched, developed and grew the WB Sport brand, a sports-lifestyle line of products, with
revenues exceeding $70 million. In addition to other innovative strategic partnerships, Jeffrey conceived
and executed the first Shaquille O’Neal branded footwear line brought to the mass market.
Following his position at Warner Bros., Jeffrey became Senior Vice President and General Manager of
Momentum, the Sports and Entertainment Marketing division of the Interpublic Group, responsible for
the entire southeast region before its merger with the Louis-London ad agency.
During the explosive era of digital media, Mr. Orridge exercised his passion for technology serving as
the Chief Marketing Officer of one internet company and becoming CEO of another.
Mr. Orridge received his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and his undergraduate degree, with
honors, from Amherst College.