Schiena
Founder and CEO of MOSAIC, an intelligence and security advisory firm. Former undefeated world heavyweight karate champion, filmmaker and counter-trafficking advocate.
Martial arts. Humanitarian.
Exploration. Author.
Tony Schiena's life and work have moved between intelligence and security, conflict environments, law-enforcement support, martial arts, film, humanitarian advocacy, international media, exploration and published work.
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How did a world karate champion end up fighting ISIS on the front line and speaking on panels with the Pope?
Read the article → All press →Intelligence and security work through MOSAIC, and more than a decade of counter-trafficking work.
As founder and CEO of MOSAIC, Tony Schiena works across intelligence, investigations, security and crisis management. His experience extends from advisory and training roles to work in complex and hostile environments.
Explore MOSAIC →
For more than a decade, Schiena has worked against human trafficking through the Mosaic Federation, which he co-founded in the UK with the then head of human trafficking at Scotland Yard. Its work spans law-enforcement collaboration, training, missing-children initiatives and the HEARD PSA campaign developed with CNN Freedom Day.
Explore the initiatives →Actor, writer, director and producer, with screen work spanning features, television and documentary. Through Backbone Pictures, his work extends into development, production and financing.
Tony directs, produces and stars as Dallas, alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., Bruce Dern and Sean Patrick Flanery. Co-financed and produced by Backbone Pictures and released by Lionsgate in US theaters.
An action feature about human trafficking and the Japanese Yakuza, co-written, executive produced by and starring Tony. It premiered on Netflix and ran on Netflix and Amazon Prime for two years.
VICE's look inside the private military industry and the companies that have taken on logistics, VIP protection and combat roles around the world.
Watch →Current productions from Backbone Pictures, the New York based production and financing company Tony founded.
UpcomingBernard Rose's adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, starring Al Pacino, Jessica Chastain, Ariana DeBose and Peter Dinklage. It is Tony's latest collaboration with Pacino after The Merchant of Venice and Wilde Salomé, with Tony as executive producer and Backbone Pictures as co-producer.
Pictured: Tony Schiena, Lawrence Grobel and Al Pacino filming Wilde Salomé in London.
In pre-productionThe sequel to The Weapon (2023), now in pre-production at Backbone Pictures.
December 2026DARC gets its uncut world premiere on Blu-ray and DVD in Germany, released in a series of collector's mediabooks.
Read more (German) →
Competing from the age of seven, Schiena became World Heavyweight Karate Champion and retired from competition at 25, still undefeated. He captained the United States karate team to gold, received the World Kobudo Award and was later inducted into the Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame.
Fight archive →
A video series filmed during Tony's defensive tactics instruction to NATO forces, special forces and law enforcement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cambodia and beyond.
Watch the series →Long after competition, Schiena keeps testing himself in some of the world's harshest environments, from the top of Everest to the sands of the Sahara. Wherever work takes him, training comes along.
"Do something every day. That doesn't mean two hours in the gym, seven days a week. Stretch, hike with a pack on, strike a tree."
Reached the summit of Mount Everest on 24 May 2023.
The Himalayan Times →
Completed the 38th edition, 252.8 km in six stages across the Moroccan Sahara, carrying his own food and kit.
Published work on bioterrorism, pandemics, international security and conflict resolution.
A security and intelligence examination of epidemics, pandemics and bioterrorism, including how biological threats can be weaponized, anticipated and prevented.
First-person perspectives on conflict resolution, bringing together experience from intelligence, diplomacy, peacebuilding, security and international affairs.
Selected reporting, interviews and on-air commentary.
Articles
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On screen
All TV interviews →
For media, speaking, professional and film enquiries, please use the contact form.