Cohon worked at the NBA as head of international marketing and Major League Baseball International as head of corporate development. before becoming President and chief executive officer of , a company which sells ticketing systems and services to sports, arts and entertainment events.
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. . He stepped down on January 9, 2015 and was replaced by board chairperson Jim Lawson on an interim basis. Jeffrey Orridge was appointed the new CFL Commissioner effective April 29, 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, a non-profit organization responsible for "preserv and enhanc 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. 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.
