Lions’ Vice President of Business Operations and Marketing recognized

The BC Lions’ Carolyn Cody has received the 2024 Jane Mawby Tribute Award. First presented in 2019, Cody is the fifth winner of the annual award that recognizes a highly valued, yet too often unsung, current employee at the club or league level.

“Carolyn bleeds the colours of not only the Lions organization, but also the entire CFL,” said Lions’ President Duane Vienneau. “Along with bringing an excellent vision for every role she’s served in, Carolyn has been a major influence and mentor for everyone within our football club’s business operations.”

Across 11 years, Cody has dutifully and passionately served the Lions. She joined the organization in 2013 as part of the Sponsorship Servicing Team, gaining a familiarity with the innerworkings of the business side needed to successfully support the team. She soon transitioned to Game Day Operations before elevating to the department’s Director in 2021, as she learned the ins-and-outs of harnessing the teams’ operations to deliver an engaging and unforgettable fan experience.

As part of her latest role as Vice President of Business Operations and Marketing, Cody has translated a decade of intimate knowledge and experience to help revitalize the BC Lions brand under new owner Amar Doman. Her team’s marketing campaigns have driven fan engagement to new levels, resulting in significant increases in attendance and online interaction.

While Cody’s impact with the team can be most clearly seen in the stands and through its social media presence, it is her leadership and commitment that stand out most to colleagues. She leads by example and creates a collaborative and inclusive work environment that values and supports diverse perspectives. She builds bridges between departments, ensuring a cohesive approach to executing a clear and focused vision. While she may not realize it, she serves as a dedicated and steady role model for all those around her, allowing her actions, poise and demeanor to speak louder than her words.

“Congratulations to Carolyn on such a tremendous recognition of all her hard work,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “While it’s the BC Lions and our fans across the province who have most significantly benefitted from her work, we’re thrilled that fans from coast to coast to coast are gathered here in Vancouver this week to see and truly experience all that Carolyn has helped build. We’re grateful to her for her leadership, vision and heartfelt passion for the Lions and our entire league.”

The Jane Mawby Tribute Award was created in honour of its namesake, who spent 28 years working tirelessly behind the scenes for the Calgary Stampeders, before her untimely passing in 2015 after a battle with cancer. Conceived of by the Ladies of the Calgary Stampeders who had the privilege of working alongside Mawby, the award was created to not only acknowledge her tremendous impact on the organization, but to also recognize others throughout the league who mirror the same love and commitment for their clubs that Mawby so proudly displayed. The nine CFL member clubs and the league office each nominated one long-standing employee before a selection committee comprising team presidents determined the winner.

Carolyn Cody received the Jane Mawby Tribute Award at the sold-out CFL Awards, presented by Securian Canada, as part of the 2024 Grey Cup Festival. The 111^th Grey Cup, featuring the internationally-acclaimed Jonas Brothers in the Twisted Tea Grey Cup Halftime Show, will be played at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on Sunday, November 17, with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. A limited number of tickets are still available via Ticketmaster. The championship contest will be broadcast live across the nation on TSN, CTV and RDS. CBS Sports Network will exclusively televise the Grey Cup in the U.S. Viewers outside of North America can tune in via the league’s livestreaming platform, CFL+.