Sue Yeon Ahn
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company
SMUGGLER
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position
Managing Director - US
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website
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when
Wednesday 7 October 16:50
17:35
Sue Yeon Ahn is the Managing Director – US of SMUGGLER, an award-winning commercial, music video, theatre, and film/TV production company.
In her role as Managing Director, she oversees production, talent management and director development as well as maintaining her role as Executive Producer for directors on the roster.
In her role at SMUGGLER, Sue has produced some of the most lauded work in the company’s acclaimed history, most notably Mark Molloy’s trilogy for Apple, The Underdogs. The series of long form films redefined the high watermark for Branded Entertainment amassing a long list of accomplishments including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix, multiple Gold Cannes Lions as well as the top prizes at CICLOPE, D&AD, Shots, AICP, and The One Show, among others.
Sue has also been instrumental in developing the next generation of talent including the ascendant directing-duo rubberband., most known for their trademark films for Zara, Brand Jordan, Calvin Klein and their Sundance-winning short film Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma.
As a Managing Director and Executive Producer, Sue skillfully melds her intuitive acumen as a storyteller and executor. She approaches each project through a strategic and creative lens, always helping to unlock an idea’s potential while staying true to the brand’s purpose.
Prior to SMUGGLER, Sue worked as Executive Producer for The Directors Bureau, founded by Roman Coppola, where her innate sense of story and creative excellence across projects of all sizes achieved industry-wide recognition. While at The Directors Bureau she executive produced Jay-Z’s Marcy Me, directed by the Safdie Brothers, as well as Arcade Fire’s We Exist music video, which garnered her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Music Video.
2026 Speakersspeaking at
What does it take for a brand to earn an audience’s attention on the world’s biggest sporting stage? Directed by Mark Molloy and produced by SMUGGLER and 24/7, adidas’ 2026 World Cup campaign Backyard Legends was made with the ambition and complexity of a feature film.
SMUGGLER Managing Director Sue Yeon Ahn joins Molloy for an intimate conversation about how it was made — from writing and rewriting as the film revealed what it needed to become, to holding onto a clear creative North Star through months of production and post, and continuing to push the work without compromise.