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About the Role

The Executive Finance Director, EMEA is responsible for defining and driving the financial strategy and operations across the region. As a commercial thought leader, you will shape the financial future of our regional operations by combining rigorous financial planning, commercial acumen, and operational excellence. You will be a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team, providing the financial insight needed to support decision-making, evaluate investments, and optimise overall financial performance. You will nurture finance as a strategic partner to the business across EMEA, collaborating with studio finance leads to elevate our overall financial capabilities. Your role will be pivotal in strengthening financial discipline, fostering knowledge-sharing, and ensuring consistency in commercial excellence across the region. You will also guide and mentor the finance team, ensuring best-in-class approaches to budgeting, forecasting, risk management, and commercial negotiations. Your leadership will elevate our agency’s financial capabilities, inspire our teams, and drive long-term commercial success.

Responsibilities

Define and drive AKQA EMEA’s financial vision and strategy, developing long-term financial plans that support sustainable growth, innovation, and profitability.
Create direction and cohesion for the finance and accounting teams across the region, fostering a sense of collective identity and shared purpose.
Provide monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting and analysis to regional and global AKQA and WPP leadership.
Support WPPC Controllership with analysis or context around financial statements and internal audit controls.
Proactively identify financial risks across diverse markets, implementing controls and processes to mitigate risk.
Provide guidance and oversight to studio leadership teams across the region, ensuring rigorous budget management, accurate forecasting, and proactive risk mitigation.
Analyze and optimize financial processes to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen controls, and leverage data automation.
Partner closely with the EMEA Executive team and CEO to evaluate investments, support strategic decision-making, and optimize financial performance.
Take an active, hands-on role in shaping commercial agreements, pricing strategies, and contract negotiations for high-profile regional clients.
Lead, mentor, and develop finance teams (including controllers and accountants) across the region, fostering professional growth and a business-partnering mindset.

Requirements

Extensive experience in senior financial leadership roles within creative agencies, digital consulting, technology, or related professional services environments.
Strong understanding of agency business models, client profitability, and the levers that drive commercial success.
Passionate about leveraging data to solve complex business challenges, with a track record of driving operational efficiency and margin improvement.
Strong ability to translate complex financial concepts into clear, actionable insights for non-finance leaders and creative partners.
A natural mentor and team builder who inspires colleagues, partners effectively with creative leads, and fosters cross-disciplinary trust.
Comfortable navigating regional market complexities, adapting to changing economic landscapes, and driving financial agility.
Maintain composure and precision under tight reporting deadlines and during periods of organizational change.
Champion diverse perspectives and foster an environment where finance is seen as a supportive and collaborative partner.
Proven success in managing multi-market EMEA portfolios, negotiating complex client contracts, and leading high-performing finance teams.

Skills

Financial Planning
Commercial Acumen
Operational Excellence
Financial Reporting
Financial Analysis
Risk Management
Budgeting
Forecasting
Commercial Negotiations
Process Improvement
Data Automation
Strategic Decision-Making
Pricing Strategies
Contract Negotiation
Team Leadership
Mentoring
Business Partnering

Location

EMEA

Work Type

Hybrid

Experience Level

Senior Financial Leadership

Benefits

Extensive range of benefits

About the Company

At AKQA (part of WPP), we believe in the imaginative application of art and science to create beautiful ideas, products, and services. With an entrepreneurial and collaborative approach, we design adaptive digital solutions that capture the imagination and drive exceptional results for our clients. We partner with our clients to solve complex challenges and shape a better future through world-leading work, constant innovation, and a commitment to excellence.
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

Equal Opportunity

AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
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.