The CFL has named Stewart Johnston as the fifteenth commissioner in league history.
A longtime Bell Media executive, Johnston will now focus his wealth of insight and experience he has gained on building his vision for the Canadian Football League.
Saskatchewan Roughriders president and chief executive officer, Craig Reynolds was not heavily involved in the selection process but is excited to work with Johnston.
“His skill set is uniquely suited for the role. I've had a chance to meet Stewart a couple of times, I've always been impressed with him and he has an incredible reputation in the sports media landscape.”
Reynolds has equally been impressed with Johnston’s leadership and personality through those previous meetings. The Riders' CEO believes the new commissioner is coming on board at an opportune time.
“Randy [Ambroise] left the CFL in really, really good shape. Stewart’s got the right skill set and what we need at this time to move the league forward," Reynolds said.
The CFL draft will be held on Tuesday, April 29 as Johnston will oversee the proceedings and announce the selections on TSN, his former employer. Beyond that, Reynolds knows one of the big items that will need to be addressed by the new commissioner.
“Everybody's talking about our future media rights, I think that's an opportunity. Growing revenue is important to everybody. Across the country, certainly in all our businesses our costs are rising. You need to have revenue growth to keep pace with that so the league's sustainable.”
Reynolds believes that the 54-year-old Johnston will be well-suited to meet those challenges.
“He's got some great experience in terms of growing partnerships and his experience with Bell Media. The value of our game is second to none. There are always opportunities for growth and I think Stewart has a great mindset for that.”
The CFL is expected to formally welcome Johnston at an event later this month.
