Managing Director

About distillery: Ready to make your mark? We are distillery; a global independent creative practice, trusted by world-leading B2B organisations to deliver tangible value through our marketing specialisms. Our purpose is to empower ambitious business leaders and marketers to make a difference. We achieve this through compassion, curiosity, and a commitment to achieve outstanding results every time.

The Role: Our Managing Director, North America is the primary architect of our success, our growth and our excellence across the region. This is a high-impact, hands-on leadership role with full accountability for the region’s people, operations, profitability, and prestige.

You will be responsible for transforming our North American business into an industry-leading business while ensuring our creative delivery remains world-class.

How You Will Make Your Mark

1. People Leadership & Senior Team Development

• High-Performance Culture: Act as the ultimate steward of distillery’s values in North America, building a multidisciplinary team that balances creativity with professional rigour.
• Mentorship & Succession: Directly manage and coach the management team, fostering a culture of accountability and empowering the next generation of distillery leaders.
• Global Collaboration: Partner seamlessly with the CEO and regional Managing Director to ensure North America is both a regional powerhouse and a vital contributor to our global strategy.

2. Commercial Operations & Industry-Leading Profitability

• P&L Mastery: Take full ownership of the North American P&L, moving beyond revenue growth to focus on achieving industry-leading net profit margins.
• Operational Discipline: Implement rigorous financial controls, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and resource utilisation to ensure every project contributes to the bottom line.
• Commercial Strategy: Design and execute pricing models and commercial frameworks that reflect the premium value of our work while maintaining a lean, efficient operation.

3. Client Partnership & Growth Strategy

• Deep Client Relationships: Leverage your extensive experience to act as a senior strategic advisor for our most significant regional accounts, moving from "vendor" to "indispensable partner."
• Sustainable Expansion: Lead high-stakes business development efforts, focusing on winning long-term, high-margin partnerships rather than transactional projects.
• Market Ambassadorship: Represent distillery as a thought leader in the North American market, elevating our brand presence to attract top-tier global clients and Fortune 500 brands.

4. Delivery Excellence & Operational Rigour

• Gold-Standard Governance: Establish and oversee world-class delivery frameworks, ensuring every project is executed on time, on budget, and to an impeccable standard.
• Process Innovation: Champion the use of AI, automation, and refined workflows to increase delivery speed and quality without inflating costs.
• Risk Mitigation: Provide executive oversight on "pillar" projects, identifying potential delivery risks early and instilling a culture of continuous improvement through post-project analysis.

What You Will Bring to Make Your Mark

• Seasoned Leadership: Significant experience leading a consultancy, agency, or professional services firm at the Managing Director or General Manager level.
• Commercial Edge: A proven track record of managing a P&L and successfully driving a business toward high profitability targets.
• Client Mastery: Deep expertise in managing and growing complex, multi-market client accounts within the North American region.
• Operational Acumen: A sharp eye for delivery processes, resource management, and the "mechanics" of a successful creative business.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: The ability to operate strategically at the board level while remaining "hands-on" enough to fix operational bottlenecks and lead pitches.

Reports to: CEO Location: San Francisco (Hybrid 2-3 days per week)

Benefits & Culture

• Competitive Salary: Remuneration that recognizes your senior expertise and commercial impact
• Rest & Recharge: 22 days of annual leave plus public holidays
• Global Impact: The opportunity to shape a rapidly growing independent agency with a commitment to humanity and transparency
• D&I: Join a leadership team where 75% of roles are held by women and diversity is woven into our creative DNA

Note: This role requires a minimum of 2-3 days per week in our San Francisco office and will require flexibility to collaborate with our Singapore, London, and Dubai teams across various time zones.

Learn more about distillery: www.wearedistillery.com