Business Director, Activation & Delivery

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 pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth. 

WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working.

For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

This is a critical leadership position within WPP Media, responsible for leading our MM&D team for a portfolio of ELC (Estee Lauder Companies) brands across the UKEM (UK & Emerging Markets) region.

We are seeking a dynamic, outcomes-oriented candidate, to lead our MM&D (Media Management & Delivery) teams for one of our largest global clients – Estee Lauder Companies. This is a key role which will be the senior point of contact who is accountable for ensuring impeccable quality of media delivery, with a forensic focus on outcomes.

The Business Director, MM&D will serve as a consultative partner to our clients, constantly identifying opportunities for performance gains and in the process of doing so, will build a pipeline of organic growth opportunities spanning WPPs media solutions and products.

The ideal candidate will be one part expert practitioner in areas of Performance, Activation & Investment, and one part client leader. Key to this role is building a trusted partner relationship with clients with technical expertise as a foundation.

1. → Campaign Planning, Activation & Delivery:

• →Oversee the end-to-end delivery of all media campaigns for assigned brands/markets, ensuring all contractual commitments, performance KPIs, and quality standards are consistently met or exceeded.
• →Steward frequent and rigorous optimization processes, ensuring the highest quality standards are in place and that campaign performance is constantly delivering in line with or above client expectations.
• →Ensure that all investment pricing & quality objectives are achieved whilst constantly surfacing opportunities for incremental value creation.
• →Articulate the impact of campaign performance to clients and WPP leadership strategically, aligning insights with macro business objectives and demonstrating tangible ROI.
• →Champion the adoption of WPP Media Solutions in campaign planning & activation
• →Implement and enforce best practices for media activation, trafficking, and reporting across global teams.

1. Partnerships, Innovation & Thought Leadership:

• Serve as a senior strategic advisor to global clients, proactively identifying emerging media trends, technologies, and opportunities for innovation that can drive their business forward.
• Identify partnership opportunities and lead vendor JBP workstreams
• Develop and present compelling thought leadership pieces, POVs, and strategic recommendations that position WPP Media as an indispensable partner in the evolving media landscape.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the MM&D teams, encouraging the adoption of new tools, methodologies, and data-driven approaches to enhance client value.
• Cultivate and maintain deep, trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders (C-suite, VPs), acting as a primary strategic partner and key escalation point for all media delivery matters.
• Lead strategic workshops and quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with clients, presenting performance insights, market trends, and future-forward media strategies.
• Champion the integration of WPP's broader capabilities (e.g., data, content, technology) into media solutions to deliver holistic value to clients.

1. Team Leadership & Evolution:

• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and accountable culture where all MM&D practitioners are laser-focused on delivering exceptional business outcomes for clients.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of media professionals across various global markets, ensuring they have the skills, resources, and support to excel in their roles and grow their careers.
• Drive operational excellence within the MM&D function, optimizing workflows, processes, and resource allocation to maximize efficiency, effectiveness, and consistency across global client teams.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the team, fostering an environment where all team members feel valued and empowered.

1. Organic Growth & Business Development:

• Proactively identify and cultivate organic growth opportunities within existing client portfolios by understanding client needs, anticipating challenges, and showcasing the full breadth of WPP Media's capabilities.
• Collaborate closely with WPP Media's client leadership, strategy, and product teams to develop tailored solutions and compelling proposals that address client challenges and drive incremental revenue.
• Monitor client satisfaction and identify areas for service expansion or improvement, proactively addressing potential issues and turning them into growth opportunities.

• Deep understanding of the global media landscape, including emerging trends, technologies, and competitive dynamics.
• Proven track record of driving operational excellence and large-scale organizational transformations at a global scale, with successful implementation of new operating models, processes, and technologies.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and motivate teams at all levels, and build strong relationships with senior stakeholders (internal and external).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, with a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading strategy development and execution in complex, cross-functional, multi-market environments.
• Experience in data, technology, and tooling within a media or marcomms agency context.
• A partnership-led approach, comfortable working with agency and client stakeholders, as well as third parties.
• Reputation as a change agent, able to identify new routes to growth and drive innovation.
• Responsible, accountable leader with significant international media leadership experience.
• Deep understanding of Agile and Lean principles and methodologies, with practical experience applying these frameworks to drive operational improvements.
• Ability to coach and mentor teams on Agile and Lean practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Empathetic leader comfortable with detailed, written communications.
• Experience managing technical product specialists and related SMEs.
• Experience managing large multi-market and networked teams, preferably with agile working experience.