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The Sweetshop UK unveils new leadership structure
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At a time when many in the industry are pulling back, The Sweetshop is expanding their UK office.
At a time when many in the industry are pulling back, The Sweetshop is expanding their UK
office.
The new leadership has been strengthened by the addition of London local Ore Okonedo (ex-Knucklehead, Caviar, Pulse Films) as Managing Director while outgoing Managing Director Morgan Whitlock moves across into a full time Business Development role to tend to the growth of The Gardening.club.
The Sweetshop have a long history of doubling down, “We’ve always been a tenacious bunch,” says The Sweetshop's Global CEO and Founding Partner, Melanie Bridge, “Expanding in the UK during these unpredictable times is a milestone I’m extremely proud of. While much of the industry has been retracting, we have used the last few years to regroup, recalibrate, and put ourselves in a position of strength. Now, we are poised to grow once more.”
“With Ore at the helm, this next chapter of The Sweetshop UK is about getting back to our roots and nurturing creative talent.” says Whitlock, “In many ways, this is a passing of the baton, I can say with utter confidence that The Sweetshop is in fantastic hands with Ore.”
From the first meeting, the fit felt right with Okonedo "What strikes you immediately about Ore is how open he is, no pretence, no ego, just curiosity and warmth.” says Bridge “Ore and I clicked the moment we met, but honestly, I can't imagine anyone not clicking with him.”
It seems the feeling was mutual for Okonedo “I joined The Sweetshop because of the people I met during the interview process. I felt a sense of unwavering enthusiasm and passion for The Sweetshop. I thought the humility and openness to have candid conversations from the get-go was refreshing.”
“He brings exactly what we need right now” adds Bridge “fresh perspective, a real vision for what a production company should look like in 2026 and beyond, and a genuine love of this business.”
Okonedo has built a remarkable career from the bottom up, “My route wasn’t conventional, I had a career as a headhunter for five years. I literally woke up one day and said, ‘This isn’t the life for me, I need to be creative.’ I quit my job and I haven't had one regret” He has brought this level of energy and hustle to every role in production, working his way up from his first gig as a runner, to Production Coordinator to Production Manager, and for the last nine years, Head of Music Videos at Knucklehead.
Navigating director careers in this newly-fragmented advertising era requires a level of grit and perseverance, and Okonedo has these in equal measure “Lets be honest, in this climate having a director roster is a huge responsibility that weighs on me every day,” adds Bridge “with Ore I trust they are in the best possible hands as he has so much energy and passion and the contemporary vision required right now”
As to what Okonedo is planning for the next moves in the UK office “I relish this new chapter, to make my mark in the London of ice’s growth. The fundamentals are in place: a solid infrastructure, brand, history, and a great team and roster of directors. But I’m hoping to be the final piece in the jigsaw that completes and complements the London of ice.” says Okonedo “I genuinely enjoy cultivating relationships, it’s about the people.”
While Okonedo takes the reins in London to oversee traditional production, The Gardening.club (Sweetshop’s AI and VFX division), has quickly outgrown itself in the short time since its launch, evolving into a larger business that requires a thoughtful hand, which is where Whitlock comes in. “Morgan moving full time to The Gardening.club is a real win for us” says Melanie. “His focus there is what will bring our vision for the company to life.”
Beyond creative enhancement, Whitlock and the team at The Gardening.club are there to leverage AI to automate labour-intensive, repetitive tasks, such as generating complex deliverable slates. Things like this traditionally eat up a frustrating amount of time and budget, leaving so much less to pour into the craft of the important brand work.
Currently, The Gardening.club is collaborating with brands and agencies to design these custom systems. “By eliminating administrative friction, we allow creative teams to focus their time and resources back onto the most important work. Like most people, we believe that re-focusing on craft is vital for the long-term health of our industry.” adds Whitlock
As AI grows in the industry globally, the need for artful shepherding of the technology is a must. “We’re not prepared to let the big tech companies dictate how this new generation of tools affects our industry,” says Bridge "We’re ensuring AI is applied through the exact same lens as traditional filmmaking and VFX: it exists to serve the craft. We hate the slop as much as anyone else. What excites us most is AI’s ability to solve the problem of scale; creating systems that automate delivery will allow the industry to put resources back where it belongs, into the traditional craft that moves the cultural needle. Ore and Morgan are driving the two sides of this coin; renewing our commitment to incredible traditional filmmaking, as well as shaping what’s possible with this new generation of tools."
