VP, Commercial Strategy & Growth

Building a Brand Starts with a Story

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management Delivery, and Data Insights services. For 30 years, we have utilized three flexible delivery models: Embedded teams, Corporate Campus operations, and a Full-Service Agency.

Managing over 37,000 events projects annually across 110 countries, FIRST serves 130+ brands, specializing in Fortune 500 companies within the Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Media, and Professional Services sectors. FIRST is part of the broader Encore family of companies. Encore is a global leader in event production and technology.

Consistently recognized for excellence, recent honors include 2026 Chief Marketer Agency of the Year, the Ad Net Zero Award for sustainability, and more.

Learn more at www.firstagency.com

What You Would Get To Do

The VP, Commercial Strategy Growth, is responsible for driving our profitability through the commercial function, which includes evolving our pricing models and governance across the business.

Working closely with executive leadership, the role translates business growth objectives into actionable commercial plans, aligning Client Services, Business Development, Marketing, Finance, Operations and Data Analytics to deliver increased margins. The VP, Commercial Strategy Growth, leads the optimisation of pricing, deal structures, forecasting, and commercial performance across new and existing clients, while ensuring a consistent and disciplined approach to growth, retention, renewals, and new business opportunities.

The role also identifies and develops new revenue opportunities via the commercialisation of emerging solutions and capabilities and builds strategic partnerships that enhance market position. As a senior leader in a matrix environment, this role strengthens commercial capability across the organisation, champions data-driven decision-making, and ensures teams are aligned to deliver measurable commercial results.

Success in this role will depend on the ability to identify commercial opportunities, translate strategic priorities into clear execution plans, and lead cross-functional delivery through to measurable business outcomes. This is a hands-on strategy execution role, requiring someone who can move seamlessly from defining the vision to driving implementation across the organisation.

Your Contributions

Core Commercial Leadership

Lead the development and optimisation of pricing models, deal economics, commercial terms, and remuneration frameworks that support sustainable growth and profitability.

Partner with executive leadership to refine the go-to-market and commercial approach to drive revenue growth.

Develop commercial plans, resource recommendations, and investment priorities aligned with business growth objectives.

Oversee commercial governance and support negotiation of client contracts, KPIs, and commercial risk in partnership with Legal, Risk, and Compliance.

Partner with Finance on forecasting, revenue planning, and performance monitoring.

Drive client retention, growth, and expansion through a coordinated commercial strategy.

Foster strong partnerships with internal stakeholders and key client decision-makers to improve alignment, impact, and long-term value.

Drive account profitability and commercial performance across the client portfolio.

Champion the adoption of AI-enabled commercial practices, forecasting tools, and decision-making frameworks to improve efficiency and profitability.

Drive consistency in commercial practices, pricing approaches, and growth processes across regions while allowing for local market flexibility.

Commercial Operating Model Cross-Functional Alignment

Drive alignment across teams contributing to commercial outcomes, with clear accountability and decision-making.

Ensure deals are structured, priced, negotiated, delivered, and governed consistently across the business.

Partner closely with:

Data Analytics / BI to support insight-led growth decisions.

Finance / Client Finance / FP A to connect commercial decisions with forecasting, profitability, budgeting, and account performance.

Operations to ensure commercial opportunities are operationally viable and scalable.

Client Services to support growth across clients, service lines, geographies, and Encore opportunities.

Marketing to align demand generation, market positioning, and growth priorities.

Leadership Capability Building

Build, develop, and lead a high-performing, commercial, client-focused team in a matrixed environment.

Foster a performance-driven, collaborative culture focused on accountability, growth, and commercial outcomes.

Develop future commercial leaders and strengthen capability across the broader commercial ecosystem.

Build commercial capability across Client Services, Business Development, and other client-facing teams.

Performance Reporting Market Insight

Develop and maintain executive…