VP of Commerce Growth UK & Europe

Overview

Reports to: SVP, Commerce UK & Europe

Location: London (UK-based, UK & Europe remit)

About WPP Media

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, we bring the best platform, AI, Data, People and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth.

The UK is the largest market within the WPP Media EMEA region, where 4,500+ HR are employed within the WPP Media ecosystem. Marquee UK key clients include the likes of Amazon, UK Government, BT, Tesco, Coca Cola, Bayer, Dell, Unilever, M&S, Ford, Nestle, Mazda, Danone and Colgate. We have a bold ambition: to make WPP Media UK the undisputed leader in our industry.

We are evolving our business operating model, our ways of working and placing data, technology and AI at the heart of everything we do for our people and our clients.

ONEWPP– Vision '30 us in shaping the future of our industry as we embark on Vision '30 – our ambitious strategy to lead in the AI era. We are revolutionizing our business to unlock limitless growth opportunities for our clients and ourselves, built on four core priorities:

• Collaboration: Foster unprecedented levels of data collaboration across WPP and partners through WPP Open, turning every channel into a smarter opportunity.
• Data & Technology: Leverage our AI-powered Open Intelligence solution, connecting vast data to uncover unique insights, deliver predictive performance and superior brand experiences through our globally consistent DPAM process.
• Innovation: Drive true innovation by generating intelligence from trillions of privacy-by-default data points, focusing on the "why" behind customer behaviour to create unparalleled competitive advantages.
• Future-Ready Talent: Evolve our focus from traditional media planning to strategic business outcomes, advanced technology and real-time measurable results, as AI increasingly automates media investment by 2030.

WPP Media is a single-client centric company with a portfolio of go-to-market brands. Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and T&P are our agency teams, these house multiple local and global clients. In addition, we have a number of client specific brands built to service specific clients. These include OpenDoor (Amazon), MFG (Google), OpenMind (Nestle), OpenConnect (BT/EE) and Media Futures Group (Google). All of these teams are supported by consistent capabilities, enterprise level tools and systems and our market leading OPEN platform.

Summary

The VP, Growth – Commerce (UK & Europe) is accountable for accelerating the commercial growth of WPP’s Connected Commerce proposition across priority European markets and global client opportunities. This role owns the most complex, high-value growth initiatives, including pan-European client expansions, global pitches, and strategically significant new business.

Operating at a senior, C-suite-facing level, the VP shapes how commerce is positioned within media-led client relationships, ensuring growth strategies are aligned to delivery reality and scalable across markets. This role focuses on strategic growth orchestration, rather than day-to-day pipeline management in individual markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Strategic Growth Across UK & Europe: Own the growth strategy for Commerce across UK & Europe, with particular focus on multi-market, pan-European, and global opportunities. Identify and prioritise high-impact growth plays that require senior leadership alignment across markets, agencies, and capabilities. Partner with the SVP to set growth targets, focus areas, and investment priorities at a regional level.
• Own Global and High-Stakes New Business: Lead commerce strategy and narrative for global, regional, and high-stakes pitches, ensuring a coherent, senior-level proposition. Act as the senior commerce lead in complex new business situations, aligning media, commerce, and enablement teams around a single commercial story. Ensure consistency of positioning, pricing logic, and delivery model across major pitches and client engagements.
• Drive Client Expansion at Scale: Lead senior client conversations on commerce transformation, retail media strategy, and integrated media + commerce models for priority accounts. Structure large-scale expansions across multiple markets, ensuring clarity of scope, value, and delivery ownership. Work closely with market and delivery leadership to ensure growth ambitions are realistic, scalable, and profitable.
• Shape and Package the Commerce Proposition: Translate the Commerce vision into clear, client-ready growth propositions that resonate with senior stakeholders. Partner with the Partnerships & Enablement team to ensure platforms, data, and partnerships are effectively commercialised. Ensure propositions are grounded in operational reality and aligned to the evolving commerce operating model.
• Provide Leadership and Direction to Market Growth Efforts: Set the strategic direction for commerce growth across markets, providing guidance and structure rather than managing local execution. Support markets in scaling successful growth models and adapting them to multi-market contexts. Bring discipline and focus to opportunity sizing, prioritisation, and conversion at regional level.

Example Projects You’ll Lead:

• Leading the commerce growth strategy for a global FMCG or health client across 10+ European markets.
• Owning the commerce narrative and leadership presence in a major global pitch.
• Structuring a pan-European retail media acceleration programme across Amazon, Criteo, and key regional retailers.
• Defining priority commerce growth plays and aligning markets around a shared expansion strategy.

What Success Looks Like:

• Strong conversion of high-value, multi-market commerce opportunities into revenue.
• Commerce consistently positioned as a strategic growth lever within media client relationships.
• Clear differentiation between local pipeline execution and regional/global growth leadership.
• Improved quality, scale, and consistency of commerce new business across UK & Europe.
• Recognition as the senior growth authority for Connected Commerce within WPP Media.

What you’ll bring:

• Extensive experience in growth across commerce, commerce strategy and/or performance marketing.
• Strong growth and sales background.
• Proven experience leading large-scale client relationships.
• Deep expertise in modern commerce disciplines — including retail media, social commerce, DTC, marketplace strategy, and emerging agentic commerce models.
• A strong strategic operator with the ability to translate complex business problems into growth strategies.
• Exceptional communication and influence skills with senior executives and partners.
• Positive and collaborative approach to problem solving.
• Passion for innovation, client partnership, and continuous improvement.

Life at WPP Media & Benefits

Our passion for shaping the next era of media includes investing in our employees to help them do their best work, and we’re just as committed to employee growth as we are to responsible media investment. WPP Media employees can tap into the global WPP Media & WPP networks to pursue their passions, grow their networks, and learn at the cutting edge of marketing and advertising. We have a variety of employee resource groups and host frequent in-office events showcasing team wins, sharing thought leadership, and celebrating holidays and milestone events. Our benefits include competitive medical, group retirement plans, vision, and dental insurance, significant paid time off, preferential partner discounts, and employee mental health awareness days.

WPP Media 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.

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