Managing Director, WPP Creative & Agency Growth Activation

Who We Are

WPP Enterprise Solutions designs, builds, and operates the growth systems that competitive businesses rely on. In a world where Al is reshaping how companies drive growth, we lead clients in business transformation and marketing modernization, connecting strategy directly to execution. Our 12,000 experts in engineering and platforms, commerce, consulting, content transformation, CRM, and CX work within a unified global operating unit across 40+ markets. WPP Enterprise Solutions works alongside best-in-class partners including Adobe, AWS, Braze, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Shopify, as well as innovators in AI, to deliver growth solutions tailored to the needs of our clients’ businesses. VML, part of WPP, supports WPP Enterprise Solutions by helping brands activate transformation through creativity and experience.

Managing Director, WPP Creative & Agency Growth Activation

Function WPP Network Growth

Reports to Head of WPP Network Growth / Executive Director, WPP Network Growth

Level Managing Director

Location / hub New York or London preferred;

Remit Global role focused on WPP Creative and agency client-team activation.

ROLE MANDATE

Drive ES growth activation through WPP Creative and agency client teams by helping them recognize, qualify and advance ES-relevant client opportunities.

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

Many ES opportunities will emerge from existing agency relationships before they look like formal transformation briefs. This role gives agencies a senior partner who can spot the ES opportunity and move it toward qualification.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build active relationships with WPP Creative and agency leadership teams in major hubs.
• Identify where existing agency work can expand into ES-led transformation, CRM, content, commerce, data, AI or platform opportunities.
• Help agency client teams recognize the signals that indicate an ES opportunity may exist.
• Develop account-specific ES opportunity briefs and define the next best action.
• Support agency teams in early client conversations where ES credibility or framing is required.
• Route qualified opportunities into the appropriate ES activation support, Pillar Lead, Consulting / Advisory or Pursuit Excellence path.
• Capture repeatable patterns and plays that can be scaled across agency relationships.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Managing Director-level agency or client growth leader with strong knowledge of creative and integrated agency operating models.
• Able to work through agency leadership without appearing to take over the client relationship.
• Comfortable translating creative and brand-led conversations into broader ES growth opportunities.
• Commercially sharp, collaborative and able to navigate multi-agency politics.
• Strong brief-writing, client narrative and meeting-preparation skills.
• Modern, AI-enabled working style with pace and precision.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• Head of WPP Network Growth and wider Growth leadership.
• WPP Creative, WPP Media, WPP Open and agency client teams.
• GCLs and priority account teams where ES opportunities are present.
• Growth Architecture & Enterprise Sales for complex or ambiguous opportunities.
• ES Pillar Leads, Consulting / Advisory, Alliances, Pursuit Excellence and Growth Operations.

SUCCESS MEASURES

• Number and value of qualified ES opportunities sourced through WPP Creative and agency relationships.
• Adoption of ES opportunity spotting by agency client teams.
• Speed and quality of opportunity briefs generated from agency signals.
• Conversion from agency signal to ES activation request or pursuit.
• Agency leadership confidence in the value and ease of engaging ES.

FIRST 90-DAY FOCUS

• Map priority WPP Creative / agency leadership relationships and live opportunities.
• Create a simple ES opportunity-spotting guide for agency client teams.
• Qualify the first wave of agency-sourced signals and route them into ES.
• Build two to three repeatable agency-to-ES growth plays.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below.

We offer a competitive benefits package.

$125,000 — $295,000 USD

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence and world-class partnerships – all united by our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

WPP (VML/WPP Enterprise Solutions) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.