Global Investment Director

About Us

This role offers a rare opportunity to shape and lead the future of a global investment function within one of the industry's most dynamic media ecosystems. The successful candidate will have the autonomy to build new capabilities, influence global commercial strategy, modernise investment practices through AI and technology, and play a key role in driving growth, productivity, and innovation across the Stagwell Media Platform.

Overview

Stagwell Media Platform (SMP) is seeking an ambitious, commercially astute, and entrepreneurial Global Investment Director to build and lead a next-generation global investment function. This is a unique opportunity to create a critical capability from the ground up, shaping the tools, processes, governance, and ways of working that support global investment, pricing, productivity, and trading initiatives across multiple markets.

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading complex multi-market new business pricing exercises, driving productivity programs for existing clients, and developing scalable investment frameworks that enable better commercial outcomes across the organisation. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on delivery and requires someone equally comfortable building sophisticated pricing models, designing global processes, influencing senior stakeholders, and supporting commercial negotiations with media partners.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of creating and launching new products, capabilities or processes, alongside a passion for innovation, automation, and AI-enabled transformation of media investment practices.

Responsibilities

Global New Business Pricing & Commercial Leadership

• Lead end-to-end development of multi-market pricing submissions for global and regional pitches.
• Partner with agency, client, and market leadership teams to develop competitive, commercially sound investment strategies.
• Build and maintain global pricing methodologies, templates, benchmarks, and governance frameworks.
• Ensure consistency, quality, and accuracy across all pricing exercises.
• Develop market-by-market investment assumptions and challenge local pricing submissions where required.
• Present pricing strategies and recommendations to senior agency leadership, clients, and procurement stakeholders.
• Act as the central investment lead for strategic new business opportunities.

Productivity & Existing Client Investment Management

• Design and implement global productivity methodologies and reporting frameworks.
• Lead annual productivity planning exercises and commercial improvement programs.
• Identify opportunities to improve buying efficiency, operational effectiveness, and commercial outcomes across client portfolios.
• Develop processes, tools, and governance to support ongoing investment performance measurement.
• Partner with regional and local investment teams to implement productivity initiatives and best practices.
• Translate complex data into actionable commercial recommendations for senior stakeholders.

Function Creation & Transformation

• Build the SMP Global Investment function from its current foundation.
• Develop the operating model, governance structure, service offerings, and engagement processes.
• Create scalable global tools, templates, frameworks, and knowledge repositories.
• Establish investment excellence standards and best practices across markets.
• Drive adoption and change management across regional and local teams.
• Identify opportunities for automation and simplification of investment workflows.

AI, Innovation & Process Modernisation

• Champion the adoption of AI and advanced technologies within investment and trading processes.
• Develop innovative approaches to pricing, forecasting, benchmarking, and productivity analysis.
• Identify and implement tools that improve accuracy, efficiency, and decision-making.
• Lead modernization initiatives that reduce manual effort and create scalable solutions.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation across the investment function.

Trading & Strategic Partnership Support

• Support the SMP Trading & Partnerships team across strategic commercial initiatives.
• Contribute to media partner negotiations through commercial analysis, benchmark validation, and deal evaluation.
• Assist in the development of trading programs, partnership frameworks, and investment opportunities.
• Support strategic partner engagement and identify opportunities to create additional value for clients and agencies.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to maximize the commercial impact of SMP partnerships.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships across agency leadership, investment teams, client teams, procurement functions, and media partners.
• Influence senior stakeholders across global, regional, and local markets.
• Act as a trusted advisor on investment strategy, pricing, productivity, and commercial performance.
• Communicate complex investment concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Build trusted relationships with key external stakeholders, including industry trade bodies, pitch consultants, auditors, and intermediary partners, enhancing SMP's credibility, market reputation, and influence across commercial, investment, and governance initiatives.

Required Skills

Essential

• Significant experience in media investment, trading, commercial strategy, pricing, or procurement-facing functions within an agency, consultancy, or related environment.
• Proven success leading complex multi-market pricing exercises and commercial negotiations.
• Strong understanding of global media buying practices across digital, offline, and emerging channels.
• Demonstrated experience building new functions, products, processes, or operating models from the ground up.
• Advanced commercial and financial modelling skills.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to translate data into strategic recommendations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and presentation skills, including engagement with C-suite and senior client stakeholders.
• Experience leading cross-functional and cross-market projects in a global environment.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail and project management capabilities.

Desirable

• Experience supporting large-scale global pitches and agency new business initiatives.
• Exposure to principal trading, media partnerships, or commercial trading agreements.
• Experience working with media procurement teams and intermediary organisations.
• Knowledge of automation, data science, or AI-enabled workflow solutions.
• Experience developing global governance frameworks and operating models.
• Familiarity with investment benchmarking and productivity methodologies.

Qualifications

Leadership Attributes

We are looking for someone who:

• Is entrepreneurial and excited by the opportunity to build something from scratch.
• Thrives in ambiguity and can create structure where none exists.
• Combines strategic thinking with a willingness to be hands-on.
• Challenges conventional investment practices and seeks better ways of working.
• Is commercially driven and relentlessly focused on creating value.
• Builds credibility through expertise, influence, and delivery.
• Embraces innovation and actively leverages AI to modernise processes and decision-making.
• Has the resilience and drive to lead transformational change in a fast-paced global environment.