Steve is a multi-faceted Media & Entertainment Executive, having spent almost 30 years in all aspects of the business, from Advertising and Production to Interactive to Support Services.He is a principal at LeTo Entertainment, LLC, a Beverly Hills based production and consulting company. LeTo has a slate of television and theatrical projects and is also active in creating interactive, promos and corporate communications for large and small clients. LeTo also consults with Entertainment clients and recent engagements include the US market entry strategy for a partnership of one of India’s largest networks and outsourcing companies; and market analysis and product/revenue analysis for a start-up short form mobile/web video company.
Steve recently completed a 4 year stint as Chief Operating Officer/General Manager of 54 year old industry icon Birns & Sawyer where he lead the company through a re-invention that included an analysis and reformulation of all aspects of the business. While at Birns, Steve supervised client projects including providing High Definition cameras for the first HD season of “American Idol”, leading the team that designed and built a sophisticated robotic camera and capture system for 24 Live Nation venues worldwide (including the House of Blues properties) and work with top industry talent including Tony Scott, Joe Pytka, Chivo Lubezki and Sidney Pollack.
Prior to that, Steve spent more than five years on the “agency side” of the television commercial production business as Senior VP, Director of Broadcast Production, for the LA office of DMB&B, one of the nation’s largest advertising agencies. He was responsible for all radio, television, and multimedia production at the agency and was intimately involved in the creation and production of work for clients such as General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Blue Cross, Baskin Robbins, Australia Tourism and others.
His interactive experience includes positions as Managing Director of Media and Entertainment for the international business consulting firm Scient Corporation, and CEO of CyberNation, LLC, a web development agency which created sites for Fox Interactive; CBS Marketwatch; Capcom Entertainment, Allergan, University of California, eToys, stamps.com among others.
Steve began his career producing and directing documentaries, corporate image films and commercials through his companies Terra Nova Productions and Tobenkin Productions, Inc. All told, Steve has produced or directed over 500 commercials and videos including work for Visa, Chrysler, Yamaha, Chevron, McDonalds and others. Steve was an officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Commercial Producers/West (AICP/West) as well as Board member of the Commercial Peer Group Executive Committee of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ (ATAS)
Steve has won more than 75 industry awards, including Clio, IBA’s, Andy, Effies, Telly, Chicago Film Festival, Houston Int’l Film Festival, London International Advertising Awards, and Emmy Honors.
A graduate of the Anderson School at UCLA with a BA, Economics, and a Masters of Business Administration, Steve has also earned a graduate certificate from the Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies at USC.