Chad Oman was born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in finance. Oman also attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he studied screenwriting, and New York University, where he participated in the undergraduate filmproduction program. Prior to joining Simpson/Bruckheimer in the spring of 1995, Oman was a founding employee of the Motion Picture Corporation of America. After six years, he left the independent production company as senior vice president of production.