Scott Neeson

Scott Neeson at Steung Meanchey

Scott Neeson is a Scottish-Australian film executive turned philanthropist, and the founder and executive director of the Cambodian Children's Fund.

Early life and career

Scott Neeson on the set of Braveheart, 1995

Scott Neeson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. At age 5, he and his family moved to Australia.[1]

He was raised in the industrial city of Elizabeth, South Australia, and never completed high school.[2]

20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures Entertainment

Neeson spent 10 years at 20th Century Fox, ultimately becoming president of 20th Century Fox International, overseeing the releases of films such as Titanic, Braveheart, Independence Day, X-Men, the Star Wars prequel trilogy and more than 100 other films.[3]

Cambodian Children's Fund

Cambodian Children's Fund

Neeson visited the Steung Meanchey garbage dump outside Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh, during a trip to Asia in 2003. Neeson was taken to dump where he found women and children rummaging through burning garbage piles for scraps they could sell for money.[4]

"In a haze of toxic fumes and burning waste, swarms of Phnom Penh's most destitute were rooting through refuse, jostling for scraps of recyclables in newly dumped loads of rubbish. They earned 4,000 riel ($1) a day – if they were lucky. Many of the garbage sorters were young children. Covered in filthy rags, they were scruffy, sickly, and sad." [5]

Neeson spent the remainder of his 2003 South East Asian holiday laying the foundation for Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF). He returned to Los Angeles and began a new role with Sony Pictures Entertainment but made monthly trips to Cambodia.[4] In 2004, he had resigned from his job with Sony Pictures, sold his home, boat and cars,[6]

CCF now offers education, medical treatment and leadership training to 2,200 children and has constructed 300 World Housing homes for the community.[10] Nearly two-thirds of these children once lived and worked atop the Steung Meanchey garbage dump and almost 60 percent are young girls. The dump was relocated in 2009, but many families remain and continue to rely on garbage scavenging as a means of survival. CCF provides award-winning[11]

Neeson at CCF

Scott Neeson in 2013

Today, Neeson's work centers on managing executive and international operations, fund-raising and furthering relationships with supporters. When time permits, he takes part in student meetings and student award ceremonies at CCF facilities. He continues his tradition of taking evening walks through the slum villages surrounding Steung Meanchey to keep in touch with the people of the community and ensure they are being well cared for.[12]

Awards

In 2007, Quincy Jones awarded Neeson the inaugural Harvard School of Public Health "Q Prize" in recognition of his extraordinary leadership in advocacy for children, calling Neeson's "selfless, remarkable commitment to the children of Cambodia" a "genuine profile in courage."[13] In the same year, CCF received the Rex Foundation Bill Graham award for creating a sanctuary for Cambodian children to thrive, learn and grow.[14]

Neeson was selected as a South Australian finalist in the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards.[15]

In 2014, Neeson was a finalist for Rotary International's The One humanitarian award[16] and the recipient of the Standing for Something award, presented by the Church of the Latter Day Saints in recognition of "the powerful contribution that he has made to those in need".[17]

Media

Neeson was featured as one of the “Heroes Among Us” in the December 2012 issue of People Magazine. Earlier in 2012, a documentary chronicling Neeson's move from Hollywood to Cambodia, titled "Streets With No Names", was featured on the TV show Australian Story, and CCF’s first restaurant, the Star Restaurant, was the focus of an episode of the Australian TV show Poh’s Kitchen. Neeson has also been ABC TV’s Person of the Week and featured in a three-part series on PBS.[18]

His story has also featured in The Wall Street Journal,[19] The Sunday Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety, Reader's Digest, Tatler Magazine,[20]

References

  1. ↑ "CCF Board of Directors: Scott Neeson, Executive Director". The Cambodian Children's Fund / Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 13 July 2009. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  2. ↑ "Australian Story – Streets With No Names – Transcript". Abc.net.au. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  3. ↑ Tibor Krausz (10 August 2012). "Scott Neeson left Hollywood to save children rooting in Cambodia's garbage dumps". CSMonitor.com. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 http://www.wsj.com/articles/scott-neeson-from-hollywood-executive-to-philanthropist-1434134269
  5. ↑ Krausz, Tibor. "Scott Neeson left Hollywood to save children rooting in Cambodia's garbage dumps". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  6. ↑ http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13115439.Philanthropist_s___1m_charity_boost_from_Hollywood_friends/
  7. ↑ ppp_webadmin. "From hopeless to Hollywood: now hope for Cambodians". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  8. ↑ "The Australian".
  9. ↑ "TOMS for Houses". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  10. ↑ Ratana, Uong. "World Housing builds community-oriented homes". Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  11. ↑ "Children's Fund Wins International Award". Pro Bono Australia. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Wolfe, Alexandra. "Scott Neeson: From Hollywood Executive to Philanthropist". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  13. ↑ "Quincy Jones and Harvard School of Public Health Launch Global "Q Prize" to Spotlight Extraordinary Advocacy for Children" (Press release). Harvard School of Public Health. 22 January 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  14. ↑ "2007 Grants << The Rex Foundation". The Rex Foundation. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  15. ↑ "Australian of the Year Awards". Retrieved 2015-08-31.
  16. ↑ http://www.theonerotary3450.org/?page_id=414#.VeUoBNOqpHw
  17. ↑ "Church Honours former Head of Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox International". Mormon Newsroom (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). 13 November 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  18. ↑ https://www.cambodianchildrensfund.org/ccf-in-the-media.html
  19. ↑ Woolfe, Alexandra (12 June 2015). "Scott Neeson: From Hollywood Executive to Philanthropist". The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company). Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  20. ↑ Administrator. "Tatler Magazine: Rewriting Their Story". www.cambodianchildrensfund.org. Retrieved 2015-09-01.

External links

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