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Born in New York and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rob has over twenty years of experience in the entertainment industry in Australia and the United States. He is currently the founder & director of Rob Woodburn Agency (RWA) and Rise Talent & Literary Agency Pty Ltd (RISE) in Sydney. Rob is a talented and admired executive with an impressive track record of identifying and developing talent and creating stars.

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Prior to launching RWA | RISE, Rob was a partner and head of the Feature Film & Television division of Artist & Entertainment Group (AEG) in Sydney. The company was Australia’s largest talent agency and listed on ASX as the result of a successful IPO. Under his leadership, the agency’s profitability grew year-over-year, and he was voted the company’s “Best Talent Agent” each year employed.

 

Before AEG, Rob was director and founder of Jet Set Models’ Theatrical division (Jet Set Agency) in San Diego, California where he was extremely successful in his ability to "cross-over" models and professional athletes into the world of feature films and television. Notable clients include Denyse Tontz (GRAND HOTEL), Kate French (L WORD), Donna Feldman (THE OVAL), Sonya Balmores (INHUMANS), Michelle Vawer (LETHAL WEAPON), Emily Ratajkowski (GONE GIRL), Kelli Goss (MY NAME IS EARL), and Bella Thorne (BLENDED). Professional surfers include Kalani Robb, Reef MacIntosh, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Matt Beacham, Sanoe Lake, Rochelle Ballard, Keala Kennelly, and Fred Patacchia.

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Prior to Jet Set, Rob was a talent manager at ROAR in Los Angeles where he represented “lead” actors from films and television series such as FANTASTIC FOUR, LAST SAMURAI, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, NIP/TUCK and SEX IN THE CITY. He also initiated numerous investment opportunities, which included the purchase of several professional sports franchises (Major League Baseball, National Hockey League) and two record labels.

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Early career highlights include working on Mark Harmon’s team when he landed the “lead” role on NCIS. Rob was also on James Gandolfini’s team during the height of THE SOPRANOS.

 

Rob began his career in the entertainment industry at the William Morris Agency (now Endeavor) where he was mentored by the Worldwide Co-Head of Television (Partner) and the Vice President of Celebrity Commercials. Notable clients include Kevin Costner, Steve Buscemi, Dolly Parton, Rod Steiger, Whoopi Goldberg, Farrah Fawcett, Alec Baldwin, Naomi Judd, George Hamilton, Dylan McDermott, Florence Henderson, Betty White, Joan Rivers, Endemol, Dick Clark Productions, and Bunim/Murray. It's here that he developed a passion for talent representation and packaging, which is at the root of his skill sets.

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Education: Rob graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Sciences w/ a Minor in International Relations from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. There, he was a member of the baseball team (NCAA National Championships) and also served as President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Additionally, he has a Diploma in Leadership from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

 

Personal: Rob enjoys surfing, paddle-boarding, skin diving, and swimming. He was an ocean lifeguard in the USA (California & Cape Cod) for ten years and a volunteer with Marine Rescue NSW in Sydney for two years. Rob is also a proud veteran of the United States Navy and played for the All-Navy (Atlantic Fleet) baseball team while stationed on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) .

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Citizenship: United States of America & Australia 

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Boards & Memberships:

• Westpac Alpha Sports + Entertainment - Advisory Board

• NSW Origin Legends (NRL) - Advisory Board

• NSW Baseball & Sydney Blue Sox (ABL & MLB)  - Advisory Board

• Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts - Professional Voting Member, A-List Agent & Executive Producer

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