Draft:Leon Schoeman

Leon Schoeman (born December 6, 1974) is a South African born film and television executive, producer and director. He has over 70 awards for his contribution to the international broadcast and media industry.

Career
Schoeman is currently the President and Founder of ORI International, a multi-national media organization based near Trilith Studios, (former Pinewood Studios) in Atlanta USA. In 2021 ORI Studios reported having a slate of over 80 productions in various stages of development, across a variety of content types and genres.

Following his Air Force military service in South Africa, Schoeman’s career started as a performing artist and producer in television, music and theatre. He recorded three music albums, and had lead- and supporting roles in a variety of local and European television series and theatre productions. Later, Schoeman's career transitioned into advertising and media. In 1997 he joined FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) a global advertising and marketing communications company. He was appointed as managing director of FCB Impact. Schoeman launched, established and managed FCB Impact within the FCB Cape Town operation, and became instrumental in many key account acquisitions for the group such as the FIFA World Cup bid, Vodacom, EDCON and First National Bank. During this time he contributed to several award winning campaigns of the group at the Cannes Lions Awards, Loerie Awards, Pendoring Awards and the Fairfax Cone Awards.

In 2001 Schoeman co-founded ORIJIN, a leading international broadcast strategy, design and production company. By 2012, Orijin was rated as one of the top five international broadcast design, strategy and marketing firms by PromaxBDA. The firm led a variety of international television broadcast network launches, series launches and on-air campaigns for companies including Disney, ESPN, SONY Entertainment, FOX Networks, SuperSport, DStv, M-Net, BBC, Channel O, MK, TBN, MTV. Orijin won more than 100 Promax BDA awards for excellence in broadcast design, production, VFX, post-production, marketing and advertising.

In 2014 Schoeman relocated to Europe and teamed up with TBN International as their International Executive Director of Broadcasting for TBN UK, TBN EU and TBN Africa. He established, directed and expanded the global operations of TBN International across the UK, Europe and Africa. These international networks were launched on the SKY, Freeview and MultiChoice broadcast platforms to over 21 million homes in the United Kingdom, 300 million homes in Europe and 52 countries throughout Africa. Within three years of launching the TBN UK platform in 2015, TBN UK became the largest faith-based television network in the United Kingdom with an average viewership of 3.5 million (BARB rating). TBN UK produced an average of 1,700 original television episodes each year, integrating with over 3,000 content partnership organizations. Within one year of launching and establishing the TBN Africa television network and operation, it also became the largest faith-based television network in Africa. In this time TBN became the first ever faith-based network to receive 2 Promax Awards for its branding and marketing campaigns.

Following the successes with the TBN group, Schoeman moved to Atlanta USA in 2019 to establish ORI International.

Over the past 20 years, Schoeman has won more than 70 international broadcast excellence and advertising awards.

Representation

 * Board member – Ori International
 * Board member - The Global Business Roundtable
 * Board member – GFFJ (Global Fund for Jesus)
 * Leadership committee member - GAP (North America)
 * Committee member BDA (Africa)

Awards
Credit - Executive Producer / Creative Director