Business Director (Retail & Experiential)

We are seeking a dynamic, visionary, and commercially savvy Business Director to lead the Retail Unit within our UK office, with potential to scale across broader European responsibilities.

This role is critical to driving business growth, operational excellence, and market-leading retail innovation in our integrated agency environment.

As a leader in this space, you’ll champion the strategic direction, creative innovation, and executional excellence of retail experiences - from immersive in-store design to omnichannel activations. You must bring deep industry knowledge, a sharp commercial mindset, and the ability to guide teams and clients through complex, high-impact projects that shape how consumers interact with brands in the physical and digital world.

Strategic Leadership:

• Define and execute a bold, clear vision for the Retail Unit that aligns with Cheil UK’s overall goals and global ambitions.

• Champion innovative thinking in retail environments, store design, customer experience strategy, and shopper marketing.

• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and emerging retail technologies to keep the agency and clients ahead of the curve. Develop and deepen senior client partnerships, acting as a trusted advisor to deliver long-term, strategic value.

Client Management:

• Lead a portfolio of high-profile retail accounts, ensuring delivery of exceptional, measurable results.

• Oversee fully integrated campaigns and initiatives across retail design, digital, in-store and experiential touch points.

• Identify and convert growth opportunities within existing accounts and drive new business through compelling proposals and pitches.

Team Leadership:

• Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing multi-disciplinary team, including retail strategists, designers, producers, and client leads.

• Promote a culture of innovation, curiosity, and accountability. Actively contribute to recruitment, talent development, and retention.

Operational & Financial Management:

• Oversee the financial performance of the Retail Unit: budget ownership, margin management, and commercial forecasting.

• Drive operational efficiency through process optimization and smart resource planning.

• Set and monitor KPIs to ensure alignment with business objectives.

Innovation & Thought Leadership:

• Push creative boundaries in in-store design, POS innovation, phygital retail and experiential brand spaces.

• Represent Cheil at industry events and forums, positioning the agency as a thought leader in retail transformation.

• Collaborate across internal teams (data, UX, creative, production) to deliver cohesive, insight-driven solutions.

What we're looking for:

• In depth experience in marketing, retail strategy, or agency leadership, with at least 5 years in a senior-level client-facing role.

• Proven ability to lead multi-million-pound retail programs from strategy to execution, ideally including global or European market exposure.

• Expertise in retail design, in-store experience strategy, customer journey mapping, and omnichannel retail campaigns.

• Demonstrated success in managing and growing complex accounts, building high-trust client relationships.

• Strong leadership and people management skills with a passion for nurturing talent.

• Deep understanding of shopper behavior, visual merchandising, and experiential marketing.

• Strong commercial acumen with a proven track record in budgeting, forecasting, and operational oversight.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills— especially at C-suite level.

• Track record in winning and onboarding new retail clients. A strong network within the retail, FMCG, or tech sectors is a plus.

• Experience in a leading agency known for retail, shopper marketing, or experiential design.

• Deep understanding of digital transformation in retail, including data- driven personalization, interactive retail technology, and smart store environments.

• Familiarity with retail fixture production, store rollouts, and global retail delivery.

• A portfolio or track record of leading the development of immersive, high-impact brand experiences in real-world environments.

This role will be based at the Cheil London offices with a regular requirement to travel to the client's offices in Chertsey. For roles at a senior level we expect a minimum of 4 days (at either office) per week with 1 day working from home.