Vice President, Consumer Brand, Sports Portfolio - Burson

Responsibilities

• Lead Client Communications Programs: Develop and execute integrated earned media and communications programs for leading brands, sports properties, and entertainment clients.
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to clients, providing senior-level counsel on media strategy, reputation management, athlete partnerships, sponsorship activations, and brand storytelling.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders while proactively identifying opportunities to deepen partnerships and grow business.
• Drive Earned Media Excellence: Leverage deep knowledge of key sports, consumer, lifestyle, entertainment, and business media outlets, publishers, journalists, podcasts, newsletters, broadcast partners, and emerging media platforms.
• Develop media strategies that generate earned coverage, cultural relevance, and audience engagement across traditional, digital, social, and emerging channels.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with sports, consumer, lifestyle, entertainment, and business media.
• Lead Athlete Activations and Experiential Programming: Develop and execute athlete activation programs that align with client business objectives and brand narratives.
• Identify and manage athlete, ambassador, influencer, and talent partnerships that drive visibility and engagement.
• Lead the planning and execution of press trips, media tours, product launches, experiential activations, sporting event programs, and marquee consumer experiences.
• Partner closely with talent agencies, athlete representatives, leagues, teams, and industry partners to maximize program impact.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in sports communications, consumer brand marketing, earned media, public relations, or integrated communications, preferably within an agency environment.
• Deep understanding of the consumer sports landscape, including major leagues, teams, athletes, media ecosystems, sponsorship trends, fan engagement strategies, and cultural moments that drive conversation.
• Proven relationships with leading sports, consumer, lifestyle, business, and entertainment media outlets, publishers, and journalists.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing integrated earned media campaigns that generate impactful coverage and measurable results.
• Significant experience planning and executing press trips, media events, product launches, experiential activations, and large-scale event communications programs.
• Proven success leading athlete activations, sponsorship campaigns, endorsement programs, and talent-driven consumer marketing initiatives.
• Strong client-facing presence with exceptional presentation, storytelling, and executive communication skills.
• Experience counseling senior executives and marketing leaders on communications strategy, media engagement, and reputation management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead integrated teams and collaborate effectively across disciplines to deliver business results.
• Experience attracting, managing, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

• We offer a competitive benefits package; click here for more details: https://mybenefits.wpp.com/public/welcome
• Our commitment to your growth is reflected in our robust benefits and people programs, which include professional development opportunities, mentorship programs with industry leaders, a vibrant and inclusive company culture fostering collaboration and innovation and packages designed to reward and retain top talent.
• We invest in our people because we believe their success is our success.