Chad Kenward

Bio:

Chad Kenward is a Los Angeles-based stage manager and floor director with more than 20 years experience in live theater, TV/film, commercial, and corporate event production. From 2005 to 2011, he worked on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the Emmy Award-winning Production Design department as a carpenter, rigger, electrician, and stage hand. By the end of the show’s historic 25-year run, he was head of the stage crew and principally responsible for staging complex live stage moves, including one “Favorite Things” introduction that required 65 electricians, stage hands, IATSE carpenters, art department dressers and three interns from the legal department.

After a two-year run in the newsroom of the Chicago Tribune and a season as stage manager for The Steve Harvey Show in Chicago, Chad relocated to Los Angeles in September 2016.

Select L.A. credits include: 1st AD on several commercial shoots for State Farm; three seasons 1st AD of opening credits for The Vanderpump Rules; 2nd AD for numerous Real Housewives and Vanderpump Rules reunion shows (pre-Scandoval); Floor Director/Deck Manager for ESPY Humanitarian Awards 2023 and Bloomberg Screentime 2023-2025; stage manager Amazon Music Live - Season 1.

Chad has worked extensively for corporate clients all over the world, including hospitality, pharmaceutical, tech, food service, and experiential marketing industries. He really enjoys the multi-faceted shows that combine his skills honed across years in live theater, live TV, sports, music, and civic engagement.

Select corporate credits include: Lead Stage Manager/Floor Director for The Obama Presidential Center Grand Opening (2026) as well as The Obama Foundation Democracy Forum and 15th Anniversary; CAT Global Operator Challenge and Demo Days (2020, 2023); VEX Robotics World Championships (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025); DOTA II The International (2022) in Singapore; as well as multiple, repeated general sessions for Samsung, Hilton, Intuit, LinkedIn, and many others.