Managing Director

Join to apply for the Managing Director role at Cherry. Location: London (minimum 3 days per week in office). Cherry is entering an exciting new chapter, focused on accelerating growth, elevating creative ambition and strengthening its position as a leading health communications consultancy. We are looking for a Managing Director who can confidently lead this next phase with clarity, commercial acumen and a strong sense of direction. This is a role for a proven senior leader. You know how to scale a consultancy, inspire high performing teams, drive profitability and build a reputation that stands out across the industry. You understand how to combine AI‑enabled efficiency with the power of human creativity, and you know how to turn strategy into action that delivers results.

The Opportunity

As Managing Director, you will be accountable for delivering Cherry’s business plan, driving new business growth, strengthening client partnerships and ensuring the agency performs at the highest level commercially, operationally and culturally. You will be a visible and hands‑on leader across clients, teams and the wider AVENIR GLOBAL network, shaping an environment where people can do the best work of their careers.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Lead the development and delivery of Cherry’s annual business plan, ensuring alignment with AVENIR GLOBAL’s broader strategy. Set clear expectations for Directors and teams, ensuring objectives directly support business priorities. Turn strategy into measurable actions across client delivery, business development and innovation. Lead regular business reviews that drive proactive, informed decision making.
• Business Growth and Development: Drive Cherry’s new business strategy against agreed revenue and margin targets. Oversee the business development pipeline with a focus on proactive targeting and strong conversion. Build new client relationships and partnerships that position Cherry as a go‑to strategic and creative partner in health communications. Champion collaboration across the AVENIR GLOBAL network to maximise shared growth opportunities.
• Client Leadership: Maintain a senior leadership role on key accounts to ensure strategic excellence, commercial performance and client satisfaction. Embed a culture of client partnership focused on long‑term growth, value and impact. Support senior teams to identify and convert opportunities within existing accounts.
• People and Culture: Lead, inspire and develop Cherry’s Senior Leadership Team and Directors, ensuring clarity, accountability and alignment to business goals. Foster a culture of inclusion, empowerment and transparency that reflects Cherry’s values. Ensure effective performance management across the Director group, aligned with the business planning cycle.
• Financial and Operational Management: Deliver annual financial targets including revenue growth, margin, utilisation and overhead management. Maintain pricing discipline and rate management in partnership with Finance and Operations Directors. Ensure strong governance, compliance and risk management processes across the business.
• Innovation and Market Positioning: Champion creative excellence and innovation, with an emphasis on AI integration, data‑led insight and digital transformation. Represent Cherry externally, building thought leadership and raising the agency’s profile across the industry. Support the development of case studies, marketing materials and intellectual capital that strengthen market positioning.

Key Requirements

• Minimum 15 years of experience in communications, healthcare or agency leadership.
• Proven success in leading and scaling a consultancy or business unit with strong commercial results.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, commercial acumen and financial literacy.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, motivate and hold others accountable.
• Deep understanding of the health and communications landscape.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills.

Success Looks Like

• Delivery of business plan targets for revenue, margin and profitability.
• Achievement of new business growth objectives.
• Positive performance outcomes across Directors’ objectives.
• High levels of staff engagement and retention.
• Increased visibility and reputation across the health and communications sector.

About Cherry

We’re not just another healthcare agency. At Cherry, we’re a vibrant collective of thinkers, creators, and innovators who believe the best work happens when we combine intimate knowledge of our clients’ needs and external expertise. Our culture is dynamic, supportive, and adventurous and we’ve been recognised as a Great Place to Work for six years running, including awards for Best Workplace, Best Workplace for Women, Best Workplace for Wellbeing, and Best Workplace in Consulting & Professional Services. At Cherry we work collaboratively in a hybrid model, with a minimum of 3x days per week in our office near London Bridge.

What We Offer

At Cherry, employee development is key. We have bespoke internal and external training programs that are run year‑round across all departments, and a group mentoring program employees can get involved in! As well as the competitive basic salary, great social events and a culture of continual learning we also offer our employees:

• 25 days holiday per year (which increases with tenure)
• Work From Anywhere Policy (for 20 days per year you can work from anywhere abroad)
• Annual Wellbeing Allowance, to spend on whatever that makes you happy
• 2 x volunteer days per year – to support a cause close to you!
• Christmas Office Closure
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Private health/free travel insurance for you and your family
• Enhanced family‑friendly & women’s health policies
• Enhanced employer pension contribution
• Mobility programme – being part of a wider group enables employees the opportunity to work from one of our global offices (US, Canada, Europe, UAE) for short/mid/long term secondments