Commerce Director & Growth Lead (UK)

Who We Are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. 

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work. 

Commerce Director & Growth Lead UK

VML Commerce is WPP’s newest end-to-end Commerce offering. We believe the space of commerce holds the most untapped creative potential to grow brands and people. By understanding how, when, and why people buy, we deliver the most engaging and culturally relevant creative commerce experiences across Retail, Experience, Design, and Innovation. We do this as part of a network of 7,000 specialists across +50 countries, everywhere life intersects with commerce – this is end-to-end.

www.vml.com

We seek a dynamic and experienced Commerce Director & Growth Lead for the UK, reporting to the Head of Commerce Capability Growth, EMEA. This role is hyper-targeted on driving growth on Marketplaces & wider commerce with existing and new clients. This dynamic lead will be at the forefront of driving sales revenue for VML, building broader client engagements, and advancing the adoption of connected commerce capabilities in the UK. Given the matrix style of Commerce, this role will operate and act as a bridge between client, commercial & creative when developing our Marketplace & wider commerce capability. This role will be pivotal in shaping and delivering the vision for connected brands through VML, focusing on capability building, collaboration, and market enablement to achieve transformative growth.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Growth Planning and Execution – Existing clients- Enhance and unlock:

• Own the strategy and execution for organic growth opportunities across the UK, driving 10% year-on-year (YoY) growth with our top 12 clients through enhanced capabilities and market enablement.
• Lead the deployment of our marketplace offer in the UK
• Support the acceleration of EMEA, and build into the community of practice.
• Achieve an additional 10% YoY growth across EMEA by supporting clients on pitches and expanding capabilities.

1. Strategic Growth Planning and Execution – Net New – Land & expand:

• Develop & own the strategy and execution for net new growth opportunities across the UK – coordinate with the EMEA growth lead to maximize potential.
• Identify who, how, when, and where to target new client opportunities
• Secure +20% revenue growth for the EMEA marketplace engine through net new opportunities.

1. Maximize the marketplace engine:

• Streamline the marketplace offering, supporting the Head of commerce in identifying new capability opportunities and refining the sellable service wheel to deploy and scale across markets.
• Generate $2m in additional marketplace revenue in 2025 across content, retail media, retail readiness, consulting, and dashboarding.
• Support on pitches and growth – both inside and outside WPP / VML.

1. Hire, support & drive a new Marketplace consultancy team:

• Support the build and integration of a new marketplace consultancy team in the UK.
• Provide a pathway of integration into the ACE central team.
• Drive the consultancy sellable offering for Marketplaces.

1. Community of Practice Development:

• Support in the rollout and material for best-in-class, consistent practice across EMEA by the end of 2025.
• Support in building a thriving community of practice across the region, hosting monthly and quarterly forums for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

1. Client and Market Leadership:

• Act as a growth leader for Commerce in the UK, working cross-functionally across BUs to drive strategic engagements with organic clients while leading expansion into new client opportunities.
• Focus on creating connected commerce solutions that align with client needs, competitive trends, and emerging market opportunities.
• Provide thought leadership on commerce through POVs and panel/speaking events.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Business.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in commerce, marketing, or capability growth roles, ideally within an agency or consulting environment.
• Proven track record in achieving YoY growth through client engagement and capability building.
• Deep understanding of digital commerce, marketplace dynamics, and marketing trends.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and execution skills with a client-centric approach.
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills, with experience managing cross-functional teams and initiatives.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities, with a knack for crafting compelling growth narratives.
• Proficiency in CRM systems, market research tools, and data-driven decision-making.

Our Behaviours & Team Culture:

• VML Champions: We believe we are what we do, not just what we say. Our behaviors show how to bring the VML culture to life through the actions we take every day.
• Connected across markets: A geographically distributed team – we aren’t all based in the same office, but we make time to connect virtually and in person on a regular basis.
• Constantly Evolving: We are open to new ideas and ways of working and constantly pushing to evolve our processes and improve.
• Winning Together: We are constantly focused on our regional objectives, measuring and celebrating our success as a team.

At VML, we are committed to fostering an all-inclusive work environment that is both rewarding and career-forward. Our Inclusion, Equity & Belonging initiatives, alongside the VML Foundation, reflect our dedication to giving back and making a positive impact in our communities and beyond. Our people are the heartbeat of our organization—creators, doers, innovators, makers, and thinkers—who drive not just marketing, but meaningful experiences that resonate in every action and interaction. 

VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. 

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