SVP Search, Practices

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Senior Vice President (SVP), Total Search 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, Total Search is a critical leadership role within the UK WPP Media senior leadership team, responsible for setting the strategic direction and driving growth for the Total Search practice across agencies, clients, and people.

Operating within the MM&D function, the role leads both the operational and strategic evolution of Search, unifying Paid and Organic disciplines and driving WPP Media’s pivot into Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) as search becomes increasingly shaped by AI and Large Language Models.

The SVP is accountable for the commercial performance of Total Search in the UK, ensuring client brands are discoverable, recommended, and transacted within Generative Engines (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) and across all search environments. Success in the role requires consistent delivery against ambitious net sales and product adoption targets, strong cross‑WPP collaboration, and the creation of a sustainable pipeline of growth opportunities for the agencies and brands we support.

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 that Total Search operates as a fully integrated part of our client offering.
• Lead the implementation of the Total Search strategy for the UK , delivering financial and commercial objectives (Net Sales, Operating Margin, and product adoption) across Paid Search, Organic Search, and Generative Engine Optimisation services.
• Develop and implement talent strategies to attract, retain, and develop top industry capabilities for the practice
• Achieve growth and product adoption targets for the Total Search portfolio (e.g., GEO, Advanced Search models, FeedMax, Paid Search) and continuously evaluate and adjust the go-to-market plan to optimise results.
• Ensure Total Search is effectively represented in pitches and new client work , acting as the senior "SVP, Total Search" in the room for Tier 1 opportunities. Lead the Search narrative in partnership with agency leadership, reframing conversations from pure efficiency (e.g., CPCs) to business resilience and futureproofing in an AI-driven, "zero-click" environment.
• Partner with agency leadership and client leads to ensure that Total Search strategies are embedded within holistic media, commerce, and content plans, and that solutions and initiatives are aligned to client business outcomes.
• Lead client-centric GEO and Total Search solutions , defining market-leading approaches to Generative Engine Optimisation that strengthen brand visibility, authority, and recommendation rates across LLM-driven environments.
• Surface client requests, challenges, and feedback relating to Total Search, 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 Total Search delivery through automation, proprietary technology (e.g., WPP Open), and standardised operating models.
• Drive Search 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 Total Search solutions in the market, ensuring best-in-class execution across Paid Search, SEO, GEO, and structured data, 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 search and generative engines , representing WPP Media in the market through POVs, industry events, and client C-suite sessions. Clearly articulate how search is evolving from "query > link" to "prompt > answer" and the implications for brands.
• Lead and nurture a high-performing Total Search leadership team , providing clear vision, direction, and coaching. Set goals and expectations, drive accountability, and build a culture of continuous learning focused on AI, LLMs, GEO, and data-driven search.
• Successfully manage key stakeholders within WPP Media and across WPP agencies, as well as major media and technology platforms (e.g., Google, Microsoft) and emerging AI partners.
• Act as the primary point of contact for Total Search 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 Total Search strategies with broader media and commerce investment decisions.
• Continuously evaluate the competitive landscape and market trends in search and AI , including Generative Engines and operator agents, and adjust the Total Search 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 Total Search where appropriate.

Requirements / Skills & Experience

• Holistic Search Expertise: Proven track record in Search Marketing (typically 10+ years) covering both Paid Search and Organic Search, with demonstrated success in driving innovation, client satisfaction, and strong revenue growth.
• Deep Commercial Acumen: Experience driving revenue growth, building and pricing search solutions (including value and outcome-based models), forecasting, and identifying organic growth opportunities within complex client portfolios.
• GEO & AI Expertise: A strong conceptual and strategic understanding of how Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative Engines function as discovery and recommendation systems.
• Technical and Strategic Fluency in Search: Including SEO fundamentals, Paid Search optimisation, structured data, feeds, and how these signals are consumed by search engines and LLMs.
• Transformational Leadership: The ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing, multidisciplinary teams, with a track record of uniting functions and leading those teams through periods of significant change and innovation.
• Influencer and Matrixed Team Experience: Experienced in influencing indirect and matrixed teams, including agency partners and cross-functional stakeholders, through partnership, clear communication, and shared goal setting.
• Executive Presence: A track record of helping to win and grow business, including specialist contribution to complex, strategic pitches and simplifying advanced concepts into clear business value for C-suite stakeholders.
• Partner Influence: Established executive-level relationships with key industry partners, particularly Google and Microsoft, and a network across the emerging AI landscape.
• Creative and Analytical Problem Solver: Able to connect big-picture strategic thinking about the future of search with detailed execution plans, operational frameworks, and measurable outcomes.
• Organisational Navigation: Comfort operating within large, global organisations , navigating the WPP matrix, and collaborating effectively across markets and disciplines.

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