Executive Keynote & Show Director

Sue Cool

The stage is a performance.
Most executives don't know that yet.

I direct executives and keynotes for the world's most demanding stages — transforming scripted delivery into authentic, audience-connected performance that works live and on broadcast.

Let's talk about your event
Scroll

Most executive keynotes are forgettable. The speaker reads slides. The audience checks their phones. The broadcast team captures all of it. Companies spend millions on events and lose the room in the first three minutes.

The cost isn't just a flat presentation. It's missed momentum, lost credibility, and an audience — live and remote — that doesn't believe what they're seeing.

It doesn't have to be that way.

Direction that changes
how audiences feel.

Whether you need someone to shape a single keynote or direct an entire event, here's what working with me looks like.

Executive Keynote Direction

Working directly with executives to transform their delivery from scripted to authentic — for both live audiences and broadcast. The result is a speaker who owns the room, not one who survives it.

Full Show Direction

End-to-end creative and production direction for large-scale conference keynotes and corporate events. I shape the arc, the pacing, the moments that matter — so your audience leaves changed.

Stage Coaching

One-on-one coaching for executives preparing for high-stakes presentations. We work on delivery, presence, and the ability to connect — not just perform.

Broadcast Optimization

Directing keynotes for the camera: pacing, framing, energy, and connection across screens. What works in an arena doesn't always translate. I make sure yours does both.

Trusted by teams who
demand the best.

Google
Microsoft
Xbox
Expedia
ServiceNow
Intel
Coinbase
Enterprise Technology — Annual Developer Conference

A flagship developer keynote had grown stiff and over-produced. The executive team was credible on paper but flat on stage. Over six weeks of direction and rehearsal, we rebuilt the structure around authentic storytelling. The broadcast version reached 2M+ viewers and earned the highest audience sentiment score in the event's history.

Global Commerce Platform — CEO Debut Keynote

A new CEO with deep expertise but limited stage experience needed to introduce herself to customers, press, and investors at once. We worked on voice, pacing, and the moments of genuine connection that only happen when a speaker stops performing and starts talking. She received a standing ovation.

Fintech — Industry Conference

A 45-minute keynote slot at a major industry conference needed to position a fast-growing company as a category leader. I directed the full show: speaker selection, narrative arc, visual language, and run-of-show. The session was cited by three major publications as the event's highlight.

Three principles behind
every show I direct.

01
Authenticity over performance.

The best keynotes feel effortless because they're true. I build from what the executive actually believes, not what sounds impressive. When that connection exists, an audience feels it — and they remember it.

02
The audience is the show.

Every decision — pacing, blocking, content arc — is made in service of how the room and the camera will experience the moment. I'm always directing from their perspective, not the stage's.

03
Live and broadcast are different stages.

I direct for both simultaneously. What fills an arena doesn't always translate to a screen. What I deliver works on both — because today, every keynote is also a broadcast.

From the people who
were in the room.

Sue changed how our executives think about the stage. Not just for one show — for every appearance since. That's rare.

VP of Communications — Fortune 500 Technology Company

I've worked with a lot of directors. Sue is the only one who understands that authenticity isn't a style choice — it's a discipline. She teaches it.

Senior Executive Producer — Global Conference

Our CEO had never felt comfortable on stage. After working with Sue, she walked out and owned it. The audience knew something was different. So did she.

Chief of Staff — Series D Technology Company

* Placeholder quotes — replace with real testimonials from past clients before launch.

Sue Cool

📷
Replace with
professional headshot

I've spent my career directing the moments that define how the world sees a company — the keynotes, the announcements, the stages that matter most. I got into this work because I believed executive communication could be better: more honest, more connected, less performed.

My approach breaks the trope of the rote executive keynote. I don't teach people to present — I help them find what's actually worth saying and then give them the tools to say it in a way that moves a room. That means working at the intersection of storytelling, stage craft, and the real human being standing at the microphone.

I've directed keynotes and shows for Google, Microsoft, Xbox, Expedia, ServiceNow, Intel, Coinbase, and others. Every engagement is different. The goal is always the same: an audience that leaves feeling something.

I'm based in [City] and work with teams across the country and globally for the right event.

Ready to talk about
your event?

Tell me a little about what you're working on. I'll get back to you within one business day.

Direct email
sue@suecool.com

I work with a small number of clients at a time to ensure every engagement gets the attention it deserves. If your event is coming up, reach out early.

Based in [City] · Available for events globally