Marc Shmuger

Los Angeles, CA

Originally hired as President of Marketing for Universal Pictures in 1998, Marc Shmuger advanced to Vice Chairman in 2000 and Chairman in 2006. During his 12 years at Universal, Marc Shmuger's impact on the company led to the most successful period in the studio's long history. Among his many notable accomplishments are: five consecutive number one openings in 1999. (Universal was the first studio ever to achieve this mark); opening four number one films in a row to more than $40 million each, another industry record; greenlighting breakout commercial hits such as The Bourne Ultimatum, American Gangster, Wanted, Mamma Mia!, and Knocked Up; and overseeing the production and distribution of films that earned an extraordinary 54 Oscar nominations, 78 BAFTA nominations, and 45 Golden Globe nominations.

Operationally, Marc Shmuger drove two key initiatives that significantly and permanently reshaped the studio. First, in 2006, Marc Shmuger oversaw the restructuring of Universal's twenty-year joint-venture relationship with UIP, and his team built and launched Universal Pictures International, the studio's first stand-alone international marketing and distribution company. In its first two years of operation, Universal Pictures International broke all international box office records for the studio. Second, Marc Shmuger led the transformation of Universal Pictures' work in family-focused, animated films with the establishment of Illumination Entertainment in 2007. Illumination's first film was enormously popular Despicable Me, which grossed more than $500 million worldwide and currently has a sequel in the works.

A recognized authority in the areas of film, marketing and distribution, Marc Shmuger is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Variety, Advertising Age and other media outlets. Marc Shmuger holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Film Production from Wesleyan University and maintains active membership in numerous professional organizations, including the Writers Guild of America, the American Film Institute, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A resident of Los Angeles, Marc Shmuger enjoys basketball and meditation in his free time.

  • Work
    • Global Produce
  • Education
    • Wesleyan University