New Business Director NEW

VML South Africa
Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative, human first, award winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca Cola Company, and Wendy’s. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave reports as a leader in marketing creative, content services, commerce services, global digital experience, and marketing measurement & optimization.

VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. Our global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, SãoPaulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

Importance of the Role

The Chief Growth Officer of VMLUK will drive commercial growth, new business development, and pursuit excellence, aligning cross functional teams and leveraging market intelligence to generate measurable results for our clients.

Responsibilities

• Commercial Growth & New Business Leadership
  • Deliver and exceed new business revenue, margin, and pipeline targets in a communications, consulting or agency environment.
  • Develop and execute new business strategies, prospecting programmes, and pursuit plans that generate measurable commercial results.
  • Identify, qualify, and prioritise opportunities, balancing strategic value, commercial potential, and likelihood of success.
  • Support integrated opportunities across complex organisations and multidisciplinary teams, including cross agency and cross network pursuits.
  • Maintain oversight of all live opportunities, ensuring momentum, accountability, and progress across the pipeline.
• New Business Development & Pursuit Excellence
  • Lead proactive prospecting, developing target account lists, identifying routes to market, crafting pursuit strategies, and driving engagement programmes.
  • Manage RFIs, RFPs, credentials requests, chemistry meetings, and competitive pitch processes from qualification through to outcome.
  • Co ordinate integrated pitch and pursuit initiatives across multiple capabilities, disciplines, and partner organisations.
  • Maintain project management skills to manage multiple opportunities simultaneously without compromising quality.
• Market Intelligence & Opportunity Management
  • Analyze market trends, competitive activity, and emerging industry developments.
  • Identify opportunities from market signals and business change using data and insight to inform decision making and prioritisation.
  • Continuously improve processes, ways of working, and pursuit effectiveness.
• Relationship Building & Influencing
  • Build credibility and influence with senior clients, consultants, agency leadership, and WPP stakeholders.
  • Employ strong networking, influencing, negotiation, and emotional intelligence skills to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Marketing, Brand & Agency Profile
  • Support or deliver marketing and profile building initiatives that enhance agency visibility and support growth ambitions.
  • Apply knowledge of brand positioning, thought leadership, events, content, and PR as drivers of awareness and commercial opportunity.
• Business Development Operations & Enablement
  • Maintain and continually improve a best in class new business infrastructure, including case studies, credentials, pitch materials, and sales tools.
  • Organise and manage content libraries, ensuring key materials are easily accessible and consistently maintained.
  • Develop credentials presentations and supporting materials for client meetings, leadership presentations, and ad hoc business development activity.
  • Use Salesforce (or equivalent CRM) to manage pipeline data, track opportunities, support forecasting, and produce management reporting.
• Leadership & Collaboration
  • Lead, coach, and develop high performing teams, motivating and mobilising cross functional teams around growth opportunities and shared commercial goals.
  • Demonstrate accountability, ownership, and the ability to create momentum in fast paced environments.
• Communication & Presentation Excellence
  • Exhibit exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, distilling complex information into clear, compelling, and persuasive narratives.
  • Develop and refine pitch stories, credentials presentations, and client facing communications with strong attention to detail.
• Personal Attributes
  • Highly self motivated, entrepreneurial, and results oriented.
  • Demonstrate initiative, creative thinking, and a proactive approach to problem solving.
  • Remain calm, resilient, and confident under pressure.
  • Manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines while maintaining quality and attention to detail.
  • Adaptable, comfortable operating within ambiguity, energetic, curious, and passionate about driving growth.

Work Environment & Expectations

We believe the best work happens when we’re together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That’s why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

WPP(VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to 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.