SVP Social, Practices

About WPP Media

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Senior Vice President (SVP), Social Practice (UK), WPP Media

Location: London, UK

Reporting to: EVP, Practices, WPP Media UK

About WPP Media

WPP is the creative transformation company, bringing together brilliant people to build better futures for its clients. WPP Media is WPP's global media organisation, responsible for delivering market-leading media strategy, investment, and performance for many of the world's most influential brands. Leveraging our global scale, data, technology, and deep platform partnerships, WPP Media drives sustained, measurable growth for clients across all channels and markets, while shaping the next era of media where advertising works better for people.

Role Overview

The SVP, Social is a critical leadership role within the Media Management and Deliver (MM&D) senior leadership team, responsible for driving the Social agenda and delivering growth for our agencies, clients, and people. As the leader of this function, you will set the standard for operational and strategic excellence, integrating WPP Media’s full suite of social capabilities to drive better outcomes for our clients.

Acting as the champion for the UK social practice, you will align stakeholders behind a single, cohesive strategy that leverages our collective specialism. You will hold direct accountability for the commercial performance and strategic direction of Social in the UK, delivering ambitious net sales and product adoption targets (particularly Advanced Social and GOAT), fostering collaboration across the WPP ecosystem, and positioning WPP Media as a definitive thought leader in the social space.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Embody an integrated WPP Media approach and culture , fostering collaboration and teamwork across client teams, practices, solutions, and technology teams to ensure Social operates as a fully integrated part of our client offering.
• Lead the implementation of the Social strategy for the UK , delivering financial and commercial objectives (Net Sales, Operating Margin, and product adoption) across paid, organic, content, and influencer services.
• Lead the development and implementation of advanced first-party data strategies for enhanced social media targeting, activation, and measurement, ensuring client success and data-driven innovation.
• Develop and implement talent strategies to attract, retain, and develop top industry capabilities for the practice
• Achieve growth and product adoption targets for the Social portfolio (e.g., Advanced Social, GOAT) and continuously evaluate and adjust the go-to-market plan to optimise results.
• Ensure Social is effectively represented in pitches and new client work , acting as the senior "SVP, Social" in the room for Tier 1 opportunities. Lead the Social narrative in partnership with agency leadership, reframing conversations from pure engagement to business outcomes and commerce.
• Partner with agency leadership and client leads to ensure Social strategies are embedded within holistic media, commerce, and content plans, aligning solutions and initiatives to client business outcomes.
• Lead client-centric Social solutions , defining market-leading approaches to social commerce, influencer marketing (GOAT), and community management that strengthen brand equity and drive transactions.
• Surface client requests, challenges, and feedback relating to Social, using these insights to shape the future roadmap for services and solutions.
• Establish and embed best-in-class operational excellence and governance, increasing the scale and efficiency of Social delivery through automation, proprietary technology (e.g., WPP Open), and standardised operating models.
• Drive social excellence maturity across all activation teams , establishing and implementing standardised market training programs and robust adoption measurement frameworks to ensure a consistent high standard of delivery and 'raise the floor' for clients across the UK market.
• Oversee, and be accountable for, the quality assurance of Social solutions in the market, ensuring best-in-class execution across all social disciplines and that all activity is compliant with relevant best practices, laws, regulations, platform policies, and brand safety standards.
• Provide thought leadership on the future of social , representing WPP Media in the market through POVs, industry events, and client C-suite sessions. Clearly articulate how social is evolving from a 'connection' to a 'transaction' platform and its implications for brands.
• Lead and nurture a high-performing Social leadership team , providing clear vision, direction, and coaching. Set goals and expectations, drive accountability, and build a culture of continuous learning.
• Successfully manage key stakeholders within WPP Media and across WPP agencies, as well as major media and technology platforms (e.g., Meta, TikTok) and emerging AI partners.
• Act as the primary point of contact for Social within WPP Media UK , providing clear communication and strategic updates to executive leadership.
• Collaborate with WPP Media Investment and other specialist practices to maximise the value of performance initiatives for clients, connecting Social strategies with broader media and commerce investment decisions.
• Continuously evaluate the competitive landscape and market trends in social and AI , including social commerce innovation, creator economy shifts, and platform algorithm changes, and adjust the Social strategy as needed to maintain a leading market position.
• Be a trusted and valuable contributor to the WPP Media senior leadership team , supporting broader WPP Media strategy and key initiatives outside of Social where appropriate.

Requirements / Skills & Experience

• Holistic Social Expertise: Proven track record in Social Media Marketing (typically 10+ years) with deep, demonstrated knowledge across paid, organic, content, and influencer marketing.
• Deep Commercial Acumen: Experience driving revenue growth, building and pricing social solutions, forecasting, and identifying growth opportunities within complex client portfolios.
• Strategic Narrative Development: A proven ability to deconstruct complex subjects and create clear, compelling, strategic narratives suitable for C-suite clients, internal teams, and industry events.
• Transformational Leadership: The ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing, multidisciplinary teams, with a track record of uniting siloed functions and leading through periods of significant change.
• Seamless Integration: Exceptional ability to move fluidly between traditional paid media and influencer-led opportunities, synthesising strategies that harness the strengths of integrated social across paid, content, commerce, and influencer.
• Executive Presence: Impactful communication skills suited for high-stakes boardroom discussions, crucial client meetings, and new business pitches.
• Partner Influence: Established relationships with key social platforms and experience collaborating with internal investment and commercial teams to shape and execute partnership deals.
• Innovative Vision: A forward-thinking and innovative mindset, continuously scouting for emerging trends, platforms, and technologies in the evolving social ecosystem.
• Creative and Analytical Problem Solver: Able to connect big-picture strategic thinking about the future of social with detailed execution plans, operational frameworks, and measurable outcomes.
• Organisational Navigation: Comfort operating in large, global organisations, navigating the WPP matrix, and collaborating effectively across markets and disciplines.

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