WPP Media | Head of Influencer Solutions, Japan

Overview

WPP Media Japan is revolutionizing the advertising industry through the power of data and artificial intelligence. At WPP Media, our vision for the Influencer Solutions team (GOAT) is to become the leading data-driven influencer consultancy.

Purpose of Role

The Head of Influencer Solutions is a senior leadership role responsible for the strategic direction, commercial success, and operational excellence of the agency's influencer marketing practice in Japan. This role combines strategic thought leadership with senior client stewardship, leading a multi-disciplinary team across account management, strategy, and campaign delivery to drive significant growth and establish the agency as the leading influencer solutions partner in the market. The Head of Influencer Solutions is accountable for financial ownership, team development, and defining the future of influencer marketing for our clients and the agency.

Key Responsibilities

The below are the key responsibilities for this role:

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Define and execute the long-term strategic vision for the influencer solutions practice in Japan, setting clear objectives for growth, innovation, and market positioning.
• Lead all strategic thinking for the agency's top-tier influencer clients and most critical new business pitches, acting as the senior strategic voice and trusted advisor.
• Translate complex client business problems into clear, powerful strategic platforms that solve real business challenges through influencer marketing.
• Champion innovative approaches to influencer marketing, pushing the agency and its clients beyond conventional thinking to leverage emerging platforms, creator trends, and cultural movements.
• Act as a thought leader both internally and externally, representing the agency at industry events, contributing to market discourse, and elevating the agency's reputation.

Client Leadership & Growth

• Act as the senior strategic lead and trusted advisor across a portfolio of the agency's most important influencer marketing clients.
• Build and nurture strong, influential relationships with C-suite and senior decision-makers, positioning yourself as an indispensable strategic partner.
• Lead long-term strategic account planning, including annual planning sessions and quarterly business reviews, ensuring the agency's services are deeply aligned with clients' core business objectives.
• Work closely with other WPP agencies on strategic planning and allocation across accounts, driving integrated solutions and maximizing value across the WPP network.
• Lead all major commercial negotiations, including contract renewals, new service proposals, and multi-year partnership agreements.

Commercial Ownership & P&L Management

• Take full ownership of the P&L for the influencer solutions practice, including revenue targets, forecasting, profitability, and resource allocation.
• Develop and execute ambitious growth strategies to drive significant year-on-year revenue growth across existing clients and new business.
• Identify and convert opportunities for deep strategic partnerships, multi-service integration, and expansion into new verticals and client categories.
• Oversee pricing strategies, margin management, and commercial negotiations to ensure sustainable and profitable growth.
• Lead new business development efforts, directing the team in winning major pitches and expanding the agency's client portfolio.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-disciplinary team across account management, strategy, and campaign delivery functions, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, innovation, and collaboration.
• Set clear performance expectations and manage the career development and growth of all team members, ensuring high levels of motivation, retention, and effectiveness.
• Build and scale the team in line with business growth, recruiting top talent and ensuring the right capabilities are in place to meet client and market demands.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex client challenges, commercial issues, and executional risks, providing expert guidance and decisive leadership.
• Create a high-performance culture that attracts and retains the best talent in the influencer marketing industry.

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Oversee the end-to-end quality of all deliverables across the influencer solutions practice, from strategic planning to campaign execution and reporting.
• Define and implement best practices, processes, and workflows that drive efficiency, quality, and profitability across all client work.
• Drive innovation in methodologies, tools, and technologies, ensuring the agency remains at the forefront of the evolving influencer marketing landscape.
• Ensure the team consistently delivers insightful, data-driven results that demonstrate clear ROI and business impact for clients.
• Stay at the forefront of platform changes, cultural trends, regulatory developments, and market dynamics in Japan and globally.

Cross-Functional & Network Collaboration

• Partner with senior leadership across all agency functions and WPP network agencies to ensure seamless integration and delivery of best-in-class solutions.
• Represent the influencer solutions practice at the highest level in key client meetings, new business pitches, and strategic planning sessions.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key platform partners (Meta, Google, TikTok, LINE, etc.), talent agencies, and industry bodies in Japan.
• Collaborate with regional and global influencer leads across the WPP network to share best practices and drive innovation.

Performance Requirements

• Achieving and exceeding annual revenue growth and profitability targets for the influencer solutions practice.
• Maintaining high client satisfaction, retention, and expansion across the portfolio of key accounts.
• Successful leadership, development, and retention of a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team.
• A high win-rate on new business pitches and demonstrable growth in the agency's market share.
• Consistent delivery of high-quality, innovative, and effective strategic work that drives measurable business results for clients.
• Strong reputation and visibility as a thought leader in the Japanese influencer marketing industry.

Skills and Competencies

• Proven, extensive experience in a senior leadership role within influencer marketing, social media, or digital marketing, ideally within an agency environment in Japan or APAC.
• A strong track record of building, leading, and scaling successful teams across multiple functions (account management, strategy, campaign delivery).
• Exceptional strategic thinking and commercial acumen, with demonstrated success in driving significant revenue growth and managing P&L.
• Outstanding leadership and mentoring capabilities, with the ability to inspire and develop diverse teams.
• Deep expertise in influencer marketing across all major platforms, with a strong understanding of the Japanese social media landscape, creator economy, and cultural nuances.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted C-suite level relationships with major clients and senior stakeholders.
• Expert-level communication and presentation skills in both Japanese and English, with the ability to command a room and articulate complex strategies with clarity.
• Strong collaborative skills and experience working across matrix organizations and agency networks (WPP experience highly valued).
• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for innovation and growth.

About WPP Media:

At WPP Media, we are Open, Optimistic, and Extraordinary. 

• Open. We cultivate trust by taking ownership and accountability, and we empathetically and intelligently balance people and client experience in everything we do. 
• Optimistic. We mobilize the enterprise, driving our vision forward, and we champion growth and career development so we can all thrive. 
• Extraordinary. We harness our shared capabilities to inspire transformational creativity, and lead collectively to deliver a seamless client and colleague experience.

WPP Media is WPP’s media investment group and the world’s leading media investment company with a mission to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. The company is responsible for more than $60 billion in annual media investment, as measured by the independent research bureau COMvergence. Through its global agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and mSix&Partners, and cross-channel performance (MMD), data (Choreograph) and investment solutions, WPP Media leverages a unique combination of global scale, expertise, and innovation to generate sustained value for clients wherever they do business.