Managing Director, Client Solutions

Position: Managing Director, Client Solutions, WPP Media

Role Reports To: President, Client Solutions

Location: Shanghai, China

Overview

This is a senior position within WPP Media and you will be running a fair-sized agency team and with it comes all complexity and opportunity running an agency. From client management across different FMCG categories, to managing teams with varying skillsets, to driving social ad AI initiatives and delivering promises like negotiation targets – we expect you to be across it all.

You will be the relationship builder and trusted advisor to lead and shape the business growth. You will work with senior clients who want to challenge the status quo and lead the way in driving its own transformation social-first and AI era.

We are looking at redefining and streamlining our team with a more focused and meaningful role to unlock future growth and opportunities. You will lead and pioneer the future transformation and finetune along the way to perfection. We are looking for dynamic, agile team player mindset to bring the transformation to life.

3 best things about the job:

• You will own and drive the most strategic agenda we have as an agency. You will constantly be developing new solutions and this itself is the most exciting part of the job.
• It is innovative and dynamic. There are new things constantly evolving and developing, and we are never static. We believe in the power of AI and digital to transform the way businesses and consumers can interact.
• It’s a great agency to work! Opinion and ideas are always welcomed. You will collaborate with different function teams on various initiatives (across WPP), and you already have a strong existing team with deep category experience that you

3 months: Visibility and Relationship building

• To have successfully develop a deep understanding of client’s business, organizational structure, process, and the needs of key stakeholders.
• Been in full speed with client development - you are the first port of call and seen as a proactive problem solver and driver of strategic initiatives on the business.
• Develop a strong working relationship with the team, setting culture and expectations to create good work.

6 months: Strategy and Development

• Build strategic recommendations in client review meetings and establish comfort level presenting to senior client management team.
• Be able to influence and adapt approaches and setting the direction for the future to drive incremental value to the business.
• Identify commercial growth opportunities within existing client portfolio.

12months: Forward thinking

• Secure partnership with the client and achieve a strong client referral rating in agency regular client survey.
• Provide strategic view of the client business and lead the team to deliver “social-first” innovation.
• Mentor and develop capabilities within current team in line with business and clients’ needs.

What You Will Need

We are looking for talent with strong client management (not servicing) background who have experience of managing different divisions/stakeholders and advising clients at senior level. Ideal candidates will have worked from social digital background, consulting agencies or marketing communications background.

This role requires to be able to hold his/her own with senior stakeholders. Equally we expect this person to have the ability to dive deep and understand the business and at the same time at operational level, working together with the team to get things done. The job holder will be expected to have:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills – this role is about championing the client direction and managing conflicts externally and internally. So, communications and relationships are key.
• Comfort with ambiguity is a must. We are charting something new so it is very likely that we will deal with areas that no one is familiar with.
• The ability to fail fast and change tracks if we do not see success with strategies. We understand that this role comes with failure – nothing truly worthwhile was created without failure. But it is your resilience that will matter in bouncing back and going in a new direction.
• A self-starter who is able to build their own work plan and deliver the key milestones of the work plan with independence.
• Good presentation skills (both Chinese and English) and the ability to influence senior management both internal and external.
• Strong perseverance and agile mindset that can work together with the clients to chart the next solution based on the fast-changing business environment.

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