Influence Business Director

Influence Business Director

Department: PR & Influence

Location: London

Contract type: Fixed-Term (12 months)

Full Time/Part time: Full Time

Reporting into: Managing Partner / Client Partner

The Role

As the Influence Business Director, you are the senior leader accountable for the commercial health, strategic direction, and operational excellence of the entire Influence department. You will transition from leading a portfolio of accounts to steering the practice itself, shaping its vision, and driving its growth.

You will hold full P&L responsibility, lead major new business acquisitions, and cultivate a culture of innovation and excellence. This role requires a visionary leader who can build a best‑in‑class team, establish industry‑leading standards, and ensure the Influence practice is a critical driver of growth and creativity for the wider agency. You will be the ultimate authority on Influence, representing the department at the agency leadership level.

This pivotal role places you at the heart of our operations for The Coca‑Cola Company, one of the world’s most iconic and dynamic brands. As a key leader within WPP Open X, our bespoke, fully integrated agency solution dedicated exclusively to Coca‑Cola, you will be responsible for orchestrating the entire lifecycle of influencer marketing initiatives across their vast global and European markets.

Your remit will span from the initial spark of ideation – identifying nascent trends and innovative opportunities that drive cultural relevance – through the meticulous development of cutting‑edge strategies tailored to diverse market nuances and brand objectives. You will lead the charge on defining compelling creative narratives and content frameworks, ensuring brand consistency and breakthrough engagement. Subsequently, you will oversee flawless execution, transforming strategy into impactful activations across various platforms and geographies.

Finally, your accountability extends to rigorous reporting and performance analysis, where you’ll leverage advanced measurement techniques to demonstrate tangible business impact and continually optimize for superior ROI. This role demands a holistic leader capable of driving innovation, navigating complex client relationships, and delivering measurable results within a dynamic, multi‑market agency environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Practice Leadership & Vision: Define and execute the strategic vision for the Influence department, setting its long‑term goals, growth targets, and market positioning.
• Commercial & P&L Ownership: Hold full P&L responsibility for the Influence practice, overseeing revenue forecasting, resource management, and profitability to ensure sustainable business growth.
• New Business & Growth: Act as the senior lead on all major new business pitches for Influence. Proactively identify and convert significant new revenue opportunities to expand the agency's client base.
• Operational Excellence: Design and implement departmental best practices, operational frameworks, and quality control standards to ensure efficiency and world‑class delivery across all accounts.
• Talent & Culture Leadership: Lead the department's talent strategy, including senior recruitment, retention, and career mapping. Foster an inclusive, high‑performance culture that attracts and develops the industry's best talent.
• C‑Suite Counsel & Escalation: Serve as the final point of escalation for the most critical client and operational challenges, providing decisive leadership and strategic counsel to protect the agency's interests.
• Innovation & Thought Leadership: Champion innovation within the practice, positioning Ogilvy as a definitive thought leader in the influence marketing landscape through publications, industry events, and strategic initiatives.

Key Leadership Competencies

• Communication & Collaboration: Defines and communicates the overarching vision for the Influence practice. Develops communication strategies that align the department with agency leadership and fosters a culture of open dialogue and mentorship for senior leaders.
• Organisation & Resource Management: Architects the department's operational structure to support profitability and growth. Oversees P&L, leads resource forecasting, and ensures the practice is structured to handle complex, large‑scale business needs.
• Responsibility & Accountability: Holds ultimate accountability for the entire department's commercial and creative performance. Empowers directors to lead their teams while maintaining transparent, high‑level communication with executive leadership on business progress and challenges.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making: Acts as the final point of authority on the most critical business issues. Makes high‑stakes decisions that protect the agency's commercial interests and mentors directors in strategic problem‑solving.
• Growth & Development: Champions and funds a departmental learning culture. Defines the long‑term talent strategy, creates career pathways for all levels, and builds a best‑in‑class team through senior hiring and mentorship.
• Ogilvy Values & Behaviours: Acts as the ultimate custodian of the agency's values within the department. Embeds these values into the practice's core processes, from recruitment and client management to performance recognition.

Skills for Your Growth to Client Partner

• C‑Suite Partnership & Business Acumen: Transition from a practice leader to a C‑suite strategic advisor. Develop a deep, holistic understanding of the client's entire business model, competitive landscape, and financial drivers to become an indispensable partner to their most senior leaders.
• Integrated Solution Leadership: Evolve from leading a single capability to orchestrating the agency's full suite of services. Master the art of integrating diverse crafts from brand advertising and PR to consulting and data to solve the client's most complex business problems.
• Enterprise Commercial Strategy: Shift focus from departmental P&L management to owning the entire client commercial relationship. Drive enterprise‑level growth by identifying strategic opportunities across the client's organization and negotiating large‑scale, multi‑year partnerships.
• Relationship as the Core Product: Move from a role where the craft is the primary product to one where the strategic client relationship itself is the core deliverable. Your success will be measured by your ability to build unwavering trust and long‑term loyalty at the highest levels.

What You Will Need

• Extensive and proven experience in a senior leadership role (e.g., Senior Influence Director or Business Director) within a top‑tier agency.
• Demonstrated track record of P&L ownership and delivering significant, year‑on‑year business growth.
• Proven success in leading and winning multi‑million‑pound new business pitches.
• Exceptional leadership skills with experience in shaping departmental culture and developing senior talent.
• Strategic visionary with the ability to anticipate market trends and define a clear, forward‑looking path for the business.
• Outstanding commercial acumen and sophisticated negotiation skills.

How we help you Thrive

• 25 days annual leave + 1 Volunteer Day
• Bupa Healthcare
• Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave
• Flexible Working Model with core working hours: 10am – 4pm
• A 1.5:1 Matching Pension Structure
• Wellbeing and Health: Up to £25.00 per month towards physical or online exercise class membership, Unmind membership, LifeWorks tool and annual eye tests.
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Scheme
• Life Assurance

Equal Opportunity Employment

Ogilvy is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular 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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