Olivier Robert Behzadi grew up in 1960s London, the son of an Irish mother, Vietnamese father and Persian stepfather. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist and studio engineer, he made records and toured with his band Academy before becoming a session guitarist. At a friend’s suggestion he moved into Artists & Repertoire, becoming Head of International A&R at Columbia Records within five years, overseeing David Bowie, The Offspring, Bob Dylan, Blondie and others. Breaking into television a decade later, he worked as a presenter and in production with Endemol, MTV, Channel 4 and BBC before starting to direct and produce his own filmed content. Behzadi is also active as a mentor, offering advice to young people embarking on their careers.