Managing Director, Commerce Media (Amplifi)

Job Description:

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society. 

Purpose of the Role

A critical executive leadership role within Amplifi UK – responsible for defining, leading and growing our Commerce & Buy-Side Retail Media proposition across the UK&I business in line with our media++ strategy.

This individual will own our end-to-end buy-side Commerce Media strategy, bringing together retail media, commerce data, marketplaces, activation, partnerships and closed-loop measurement into a cohesive, differentiated go-to-market solution that drives growth for our clients and for dentsu. They will lead the design and development of our Commerce Media product – shaping how we partner with retailers, platforms and technology partners, how we integrate commerce signals across channels, and how we build proprietary and next-gen capabilities that give our clients competitive advantage.

This role is both strategic and market-facing. The MD will act as dentsu’s senior industry voice for Commerce Media – representing externally through thought leadership, PR, events and tier-1 pitches – while also owning senior C-suite client relationships to unlock organic and long-term growth. As a member of the Amplifi Executive Leadership Team, they will also play a central role in shaping the broader direction, culture, operating model and growth of Amplifi UK.

This individual will oversee a high-growth and priority capability for our business and as such, will be accountable for the commercial performance, maturity and market reputation of Commerce Media across dentsu UK.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Leadership: Member of the Amplifi UK Executive Leadership Team. Help shape the group’s overall strategy, growth agenda, culture and talent model. Act as a senior representative of the wider dentsu and Amplifi business, not solely the Commerce capability.

• Commerce Media Strategy & Vision: Define and lead dentsu’s UK Commerce Media vision and roadmap. Actively lead Commerce Media’s role as part of our wider media++ strategy and establish a clear, competitive, differentiated proposition that integrates retail media networks, marketplaces, commerce data, performance channels and measurement into one cohesive solution for clients. Ensure our strategy is aligned to market evolution, retailer priorities, platform innovation and most importantly, client growth needs.

• Proposition & Solution Development: Design and scale a suite of proprietary and next-gen Commerce Media solutions. Productise our capabilities into clear, sellable offerings that can be adopted across all dentsu agencies and scaled consistently. Partner closely with our Media Effectiveness and Data & Technology teams to embed automation, AI and closed-loop measurement into everything we deliver.

• Partnerships & Ecosystem: Working with our Amplifi Partnerships team, own senior strategic relationships with key retailers, retail media networks, marketplaces and commerce technology partners. Support the development and enablement of our joint business plans that drive preferential access, innovation opportunities and commercial advantage for dentsu and our clients. Identify emerging partners and new routes to market that enhance our competitive position.

• Business Growth: Accountable for Commerce Media revenue, profitability and margin growth in line with our media++ 3 year strategy. Prospect and drive organic growth across our existing client base through senior relationship leadership and consultative selling in partnership with our wider commerce capability, the client leadership community, UK&I CCO and GTM brand President’s. Act as the primary Commerce Media lead across tier-1 pitches and new business opportunities – shaping strategy, storytelling and solution design.

• Client Leadership: Build trusted C-suite relationships with key clients and serve as the senior escalation and advisory point for our most strategic Commerce Media engagements. Articulate the business impact of Commerce Media through clear narratives around incrementality, effectiveness and commercial outcomes to our client and planning communities.

• Thought-Leadership, Innovation & Industry Fame: Be the recognised external face and voice of dentsu Commerce Media in the UK market. Own the development of category-defining POVs, whitepapers, case studies, research and industry narratives that shape how clients think about Commerce Media, to proactively drive dentsu’s share of voice and reputation through press, conferences, awards, roundtables and senior industry forums. Champion innovation across the media practice - incubating new ideas, pilots and partnerships that can become proprietary IP and high margin commercial differentiators for dentsu. Ensure our best work is packaged, celebrated and amplified to build credibility, fame and competitive advantage. Partner with our Marketing & Comms team to create a structured ‘fame’ plan – ensuring consistent visibility of our thinking, innovation and results across the market.

• Operational Excellence: Design and maintain a scalable operating model that enables consistent, high-quality delivery. Support strong control of operating costs and identify routes to proactively reduce cost-to-serve through automation, simplification and smarter resourcing models. Work hand in hand with the Amplifi partnership team to ensure strong governance, compliance and commercial rigour across retailer and platform relationships.

• Integration & Connectivity: Foster collaboration between Commerce Media teams across both the buy and sell-side, as well as wider Amplifi capabilities (Search, Social, Addressable, AV, Algorithmic Accelerators etc.) to ensure we are delivering connected, competitive solutions. Work with our go-to-market brands to ensure Commerce signals and insights are embedded into total media planning, not siloed. Ensure we remain connected and in harmony with dentsu’s EMEA + global Retail Media leaders and propositions, and that the UK is leading the way in how we operate in this space.

• Pioneer Our Approach: Champion experimentation, data-driven decision making and innovation. Encourage teams to test, learn and scale new approaches that unlock growth for clients across the commerce media space. Lead how we combine people, technology and partnerships to create integrated answers to complex commerce challenges.

Qualifications + Skills

• Extensive experience across Commerce, Retail Media, Performance or Addressable Media environments.

• Proven leadership in building and scaling high-growth media capabilities.

• Demonstrated success in developing propositions and taking products to market.

• Strong relationships with retailers, marketplaces, platforms and commerce tech partners.

• Track record of driving significant revenue growth and leading tier-1 client pitches.

• Experience engaging at C-suite level with clients and senior stakeholders.

• Deep understanding of commerce data, measurement and closed-loop effectiveness, with the ability to simplify complex ecosystems into compelling narratives.

• Inspirational leadership and strong commercial acumen, energizing teams behind a clear vision while applying sound financial and business judgment.

What we offer

• This is a permanent role.

• The team is based in our UK offices and operates under flexible working arrangements.

• This role will require regular client, partner and industry engagement across the UK.

• As well as a competitive salary, you’ll enjoy a benefits package that you can tailor to your needs.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected], quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

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