Group Finance Director, Creative Practice

Company Description

 

Publicis Groupe is a global leader in communication, operating in over 100 countries with 114,000 people globally. We help the world’s leading brands drive growth by combining creativity, media, data, technology and consulting. We are designed to help our clients thrive, with the capabilities, the experience and the understanding needed to help our clients unlock growth in a platform world. Through our Power of One approach, we bring together the right expertise from across our agencies to deliver joined up, end to end solutions. “Viva la Différence” sits at the heart of our culture. We value individuality, encourage different perspectives and believe our differences make us stronger. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone can learn, grow and do the best work of their career.

Overview

We are hiring a Group Finance Director to help shape the future of finance within Publicis Groupe UK's Creative Practice. This is a highly visible leadership role that combines strategic finance, commercial partnership, transformation and innovation, working closely with senior leaders to drive performance and unlock growth. As a trusted partner to the CFO and Creative Practice Leadership team, you will bring clarity, insight and forward-thinking solutions that help the business make better, faster decisions. You'll also play a key role in evolving Finance through AI, automation and data-driven ways of working.

 

What you'll be doing:

• Partner with the CFO and Creative Practice Leadership team to translate strategic priorities into commercial and financial action.
• Lead financial planning, forecasting and performance management across the Creative Practice, ensuring high-quality insight and decision support.
• Provide a clear view of business performance, identifying opportunities and risks across agencies, clients and capabilities.
• Support major pitches, commercial negotiations and the development of pricing and operating models that strengthen growth and profitability.
• Champion the adoption of AI, automation and data-led solutions to improve forecasting, reporting, analysis and finance processes.
• Build strong relationships across agency, UK, EMEA and Global teams to drive collaboration and alignment with wider business priorities.
• Develop finance capability across the Practice by coaching talent, strengthening business partnering skills and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Skills we're looking for:

• Qualified accountant with substantial experience in senior finance leadership roles within a complex organisation.
• Strong commercial finance and business partnering expertise, with the ability to turn financial insight into practical business actions.
• Experience leading financial planning, performance management and strategic decision-making at a senior level.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders across multiple functions and business areas.
• Experience delivering change initiatives, improving finance processes or helping organisations adopt new ways of working.
• Interest in AI, technology and data, with the ability to identify and implement practical solutions that create value.
• Inclusive leadership style with a passion for developing people, building capability and creating high-performing teams.

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Additional Information

Publicis Groupe offers a wide range of benefits to support our employees. Full details are shared when you join, but highlights include core benefits such as Pension, Life Assurance, and Private Medical cover, alongside enhanced policies like Reflection Days and Shared Parental Leave. You’ll also have access to a range of additional initiatives, including:

 

📖 Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG’s (Employee Action Groups).

 

Publicis Groupe works primarily from the office or our clients' office four days per week.

 

At Publicis Groupe, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. 

 

We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We’ll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application.

 

Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.

 

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