DMCG Global
CSO Media Agency (Dubai)
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Senior Strategy Leader Opportunity
We are working with a leading media agency in the Middle East on a senior strategy leadership hire at a particularly exciting time for the business.
Following a strong period of new business wins and growth, they’re looking for an experienced Head of Strategy / Chief Strategy Officer to lead and build out the strategy function across the region.
This isn’t a role for someone who simply wants to oversee a department. They need a hands-on strategic leader who still enjoys getting close to the work — shaping the thinking on major clients, getting involved in the big briefs and pitches, and helping turn complex business challenges into clear, compelling media strategies.
A major part of the opportunity will be building the strategy capability and team. They want someone who can establish the right structure, hire and develop strong strategists, raise the overall strategic product of the agency and create a function that can scale as the business continues to grow.
The client portfolio is broad and interesting, spanning sectors including aviation, luxury, FMCG, tourism and automotive, so the role needs someone comfortable moving between very different categories and business challenges.
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New business will also be important. The agency has been winning significant business in the region and they want someone who can play a leading role in pitches — someone capable of finding the central strategic idea, building a strong narrative and confidently presenting and defending the thinking with senior clients.
What they’re looking for
- A senior strategy leader from a strong media agency, integrated agency or closely related environment.
- Deep understanding of media and communications strategy, with media strategy being essential and broader comms planning experience a definite advantage.
- Someone genuinely hands-on who is happy getting into briefs and doing the thinking rather than simply managing from above.
- A strong track record in new business and pitches, from interrogating the brief through to developing the strategic story and presenting it.
- Experience building, leading and developing strategy teams and raising the standard of strategic thinking across an agency.
- Strong commercial instincts. Someone who understands that great strategy needs to solve a client's business problem, not simply produce an interesting deck.
- Comfortable working directly with senior clients and becoming a trusted strategic partner to them.
- Able to connect consumer insight, data, culture, media behaviour and business objectives into simple and compelling strategic recommendations.
- Curious about how technology, data, AI and emerging platforms are changing both consumer behaviour and the role media can play for brands.
- Collaborative and low ego — someone who can work effectively alongside client leadership, planning, investment, digital, data, content and specialist teams.
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The opportunity
This is ultimately a build role rather than a maintenance role.
There is already strong momentum in the business, an interesting mix of major regional and international clients and a healthy new-business pipeline. The opportunity is to come in, shape what the strategy function should look like for the next stage of growth, build the team around you and have a genuine influence on both the agency's work and its commercial direction.
It should suit someone who enjoys being close to clients and the work, loves the competitive side of new business, and wants the freedom to build something rather than inherit a finished product.
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