VP, Strategic Partnerships

WPP is the world’s leading marketing services company; now at a unique moment in the history of the organization and the industry.  In late 2018, under the leadership of new global Chief Executive Mark Read, WPP announced a new vision for the organization - to become the world’s leading ‘creative transformation company’.   Our ambition is to ' bring together brilliant people to create better futures for our clients.’  We help clients optimize brand performance through an integrated offering of experience, communications, technology and commerce. 

Working at WPP means being part of a global network of more than 130,000 talented people in 112 countries. Our company creates transformative ideas and outcomes for its clients through an integrated offer of communications, experience, commerce and technology. WPP and our award-winning agencies work with most of the world’s biggest companies and organizations – from Ford, Unilever and P&G to Google, HSBC and the UN. Our clients include 67 of the FTSE 100, 369 of the Fortune Global 500, all 30 of the Dow Jones 30 and 71 of the NASDAQ 100.

WPP has headquarters in New York, London and Singapore and a corporate presence in major markets worldwide. The company is quoted on the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

Corporate Function – Global Strategic Partnerships

This is a newly created role designed to bring greater impetus to the development of the strategic partnerships function. As part of this team, you’ll play a key role in helping WPP execute its technology and partner strategy, with direct responsibility for key partnerships and success, as well as an emerging partner pipeline.   This is a high-visibility role (interacting with C-suite, SVP/VPs, agency senior leadership, and clients, as well as partner leads) designed to bring additional momentum to our ever-expanding strategic relationships with partners.

The Strategic Partnerships team has scaled rapidly over the last 2 years, with several new roles added focusing on vertical partner relationships, and revenue realisation in WPP Opcos scaling as a result. Tier 1 partner relationships are well established at both WPP, partner and OpCo activation level. Tier 2 partner relationships are also becoming well established and will continue to grow.  As the function enters its next stage of development, the ask of the team to deliver scaled growth, efficiencies, capability building at scale, and scaled proof of concept is also growing. Team structure and roles and responsibilities thereby need to evolve to enable the asks – from a highly verticalized approach to a more matrixed approach, where the vertical partner relationships are augmented by cross-partner functional development, allowing faster learning, faster and smarter delivery and greater efficiency. 

The role reports to the EVP, Global Strategic Partnerships, based in New York.

Your Role & Responsibilities

VP, Strategic Partnerships

• Build strategic relationships across multiple leadership teams, internally and externally, to drive strategic alignment; ensure internal stakeholders’ voices, ideas and needs are represented in the partnership
• Conceptualize, bring forward and secure unique partnership initiatives and ‘market firsts’ for WPP, informed by WPP’s technology strategy, product/s roadmap and capabilities
• Drive joint product development and cross-partner integrations that align with WPP client needs, working with global, cross-functional teams across WPP (e.g. technical, creative technology, data management, product management, comms, legal) to drive and deliver new, market-leading products and solutions
• Work with global, cross-functional teams across WPP (e.g. technical, AI, Open, Choreograph, data management, product management, comms, legal) to drive and deliver new, market-leading products and solutions
• Drive (conceptualize, evaluate and recommend) investment in GTM opportunities
• Collaborate with partner Agency Lead teams and internal Enablement teams to develop and execute enablement programs 
• Work closely with client leaders and agency employees to directly and indirectly create and covert a pipeline of client opportunities
• Work with WPP opcos at the most senior levels to ensure their needs are met and represented in the partnership, including effective neutralization of any conflict areas
• Provide consistent proof of concept through case study collation and socialization
• Work closely with GroupM’s media investment group, whilst recognizing that media partnership is not the core deliverable of this role – focus is outside media

We are looking for:

• A driven, self-starter who excels in a fast-paced environment where it is essential to keep up with the rapidly developing trends in technology and marketing
• Ability for conceptual thinking -- ability to imagine what ‘could be’ vs. what exists today (strategic business development skills are a must, as is ability to navigate at the intersection of frontier technology, marketing and media)
• Strong tolerance for ambiguity; able to focus and execute in a changing environment; ability to make things happen (i.e. demonstrating resourcefulness and problem-solving)
• Willingness to roll up your sleeves and manage both day-to-day relationship, as well as development of marketing materials and other client-facing content to further awareness of the partnership
• Interest and curiosity in what’s going on in today's digitally disrupted market and how the needs of CMOs are changing
• Proven ability to represent WPP for external marketing opportunities, including speaking and panel opportunities
• Proven new business experience
• Strong understanding of the varying needs of different parts of the WPP ecosystem
• Strong network across WPP
• Contagious enthusiasm alongside amazing project management skills
• Excellent commercial understanding
• Ability to understand emerging partners and how to build partnership agreements with Tier 2 and Tier 2 partners – identifying, nurturing, growing
• Proven ability to elevate WPP reputation through analyst report contribution

Your Professional Skills and Experience

• Proven track record of building market-defining, high-visibility strategic partnerships at the intersection of Technology/Marketing/Advertising/Media
• Cross-functional influence, relationship building, and project management skills toward a broad constituency 
• Demonstrated ability to navigate senior stakeholders and work in a matrixed environment; collaborative working style 
• Strong business acumen and negotiation abilities, experience with contract negotiation and working closely with legal teams
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Work Experience: Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, ideally T-shaped 
• Acceptable experience includes a mix of: Media Planning and Investment focused on Digital Media, Advertising Technology and Marketing Technology experience in a Strategic Partnerships/Business Development/Alliances or Product/Strategy & Operations role, Venture Investing experience at the intersection of Tech, Media and Marketing, Management Consulting experience focused on Media/Marketing/Technology/Digital Transformation
• Education: Bachelor's degree, MBA preferred

You're open: We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are accepting: of new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You're optimistic: We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You're extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we'll give you:

Passionate, inspired people – We promote a culture of people that do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?