Senior Partnerships Director

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement Optimization.

In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney. About WPP 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. com . As Senior F1 Partnership Director, you’ll play a pivotal leadership role within our growing Formula 1 practice.

This role will oversee premium F1 hospitality and guest experience programmes across multiple clients, with a primary focus on a long standing and highly valued automotive client. You will champion excellence, innovation and consistency in how VML Live delivers guest programmes and experiences across the F1 season, driving best practice across client teams, liaising with our VML Experience Design team and elevating our position as a leader in global motorsport experiences. Based in our London HQ, this is a highly visible role requiring deep F1 knowledge, flawless delivery standards, commercial sharpness, extensive global supplier network and the ability to build trusted relationships with senior clients and partners across the sport.

What You’Ll Do

Client leadership relationship management • Act as a senior client lead across multiple F1 client accounts, with primary ownership of a flagship global automotive client • Build trusted, strategic relationships with senior stakeholders—understanding their business priorities, partnership objectives and guest expectations • Work closely with our Head of Motorsport to provide proactive counsel on experience design, F1 best practice and partnership value, constructively challenging thinking when needed • Serve as the escalation point for all guest programme and hospitality r-elated matters across the F1 season Excellence in F1 hospitality guest experience • Lead the vision, quality standards and creative ambition for all F1 guest hospitality programmes across VML Live • Set the benchmark for premium guest experiences - across logistics, VIP services, programme design, cultural relevance, onsite execution and post event- measurement • Ensure all programmes reflect best in- class delivery, seamless operations and brand-defining moments for guests • Have a clear understanding of hospitality opcons at each F1 race and be able to support with strategic recommendacons based on client needs. • Continuously evolve our F1 hospitality product through innovation, technology, data and insight, working collaboratively with VML experts in our data, experience design and consulting teams Cross -team leadership best practice development • For your primary automotive client account, lead a team of 4, planning and delivering best in class premium experiences for our client at most F1 GPs in 2026.