Michael Ridley was named the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in 2004 and has been the Chief Librarian at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) since 1995.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO), as the enterprise information architect, is responsible for the overall strategy and policy administration of the University’s information technology, information services and information resources. Reporting to the Provost and Vice President (Academic), this position is accountable for providing the vision, leadership and advocacy for the development and use of information systems (IS), information resources (IR) and information technology (IT) to further the academic mission and to support the administrative requirements of the University. The CIO will facilitate innovation and integrated solutions in support of teaching, learning, research, service and administration in an environment of strategic directions, collaboration and shared responsibility.

The CIO has overall responsibility and accountability for the administration of the both Library (as Chief Librarian) and Computing and Communications Services (CCS).

Ridley holds degrees from the University of Guelph (BA), the University of New Brunswick (MA) and the University of Toronto (MLS). Previously he held positions at the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, and the University of Guelph.

Ridley has served as President of the Canadian Association for Information Science, President of the Ontario Library Association, member of the Board of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries and Chair of the Ontario Council of University Libraries. He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) and the Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers (CUCCIO)..

In 2007 he was named "Academic Librarian of the Year" by the Ontario College and University Library Association (OCULA), a division of the Ontario Library Association (OLA).

In 2008 he was awarded the newly renamed Larry Moore OLA Distinquished Service Award from the Ontario Library Association.

In 2010 he was awarded the Miles Blackwell Award for Outstanding Academic Librarian by the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries (a division of the Canadian Library Association).