Speaker Profile

Chairman and Executive Vice President, New York Giants @TheSteveTisch Steve Tisch has the distinction of being the only person on the planet with both an Academy Award and a Super Bowl ring. He won the former as one of the producers of "Forrest Gump," which was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture of 1994, and the latter as Chairman of the Giants, who defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Tisch joined the Giants organization as Executive Vice President in July 2005, but he has been intimately involved with the team since his father, Preston Robert Tisch, purchased 50 percent of the franchise in 1991. With the passing of his father in 2005, Steve Tisch assumed the additional title of Chairman. In the previous three years, Steve worked closely with John Mara on the planning and construction for the New Meadowlands Stadium, the beautiful new venue that is the Giants' new home. The new stadium is a joint venture with the New York Jets. In addition, Steve joined Mara, his brother Jonathan (the Giants' treasurer) and Jets owner Woody Johnson is leading the teams' successful bid to bring Super Bowl XLVIII to the new stadium in February 2014. NFL owners voted in May 2010 to bring the Super Bowl and all of its accompanying events to New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. It will be the first Super Bowl played in an open-air stadium in a cold weather region. Tisch is one of the most successful producers in the motion picture industry. He is a partner in Escape Artists, an independently financed film production company based at Sony Pictures Entertainment. His television and feature film projects have consistently focused on the lives of everyday people and the vital impact they have in society. One of Tisch's most noteworthy professional achievements was the production of "Forrest Gump," which was named Best Picture at both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. "Forrest Gump," which was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won nine, remains one of the 25 highest domestic box office grossing films in history. Another Tisch film, "The Pursuit of Happyness," starring Will Smith, was released by Columbia Pictures in December 2006 and became one of the biggest hits of the year. Tisch's other credits with Escape Artists include "The Weather Man", "Seven Pounds", "Knowing", "The Taking of Pelham 123" and "The Back-Up Plan". Escape Artists latest film titled "Great Hope Springs" starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell, began principal photography in August. Tisch began his career in entertainment when he was a student at Tufts University. His summer jobs included booking films in the family's movie theater chain, working for director John Avildsen and serving an apprenticeship under Otto Preminger. Upon his graduation, Tisch worked as Peter Guber's assistant at Columbia Pictures. At age 22, he became an Executive at the studio, and during his four-year tenure he worked on such films as "The Lords of Flatbush," "Tommy" and "The Last Detail. "In 1976, Tisch left Columbia to produce his first motion picture, "Outlaw Blues. " Tisch met Jon Avnet during the shoot and the pair soon formed Tisch/Avnet Productions. The company's success's included the runaway 1983 hit, "Risky Business. " Tisch/Avnet also produced many acclaimed television films, including "The Burning Bed," which received 11 Emmy nominations and numerous other awards, and was credited with providing many women with the courage to seek help from physical abuse. Tisch/Avnet's other television film credits include "Silence of the Heart," "Something so Right," "Prime Suspect," "No Other Love," "Call to Glory" and "Homeward Bound" (winner of a Christopher Award). In 1986, Tisch formed his own production company, the Steve Tisch Company, which has produced many films, including "The Postman," "Wild America," "The Long Kiss Goodbye," "Corrina, Corrina," "Big Business," and "Bad Influence". Tisch also served as Executive Producer on "American History X," "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels," and "Snatch. "Tisch has long been a leader in philanthropic ventures. In April 1991, he was elected to the AIDS Project Los Angeles' Board of Directors. During his tenure, Tisch served as both Board Chair and Chair of the Development Committee. Tisch has also generously contributed his time and resources to such organizations as The H. E. L. P. Group and the ERAS Center. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and is on the Board of Trustees of The Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles, The Sundance Institute, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Cancer Center at Duke University.