Appointing a Managing Director of Advertising to lead commercial transformation at Mail Metro Media

Mail Metro Media is home to an incredible portfolio that includes the Mail brands, Metro and The i Paper. When they entered a period of major commercial evolution – transitioning from a traditional, trading-led sales model to a more strategic, client-centric and data-driven approach – they needed to expand their leadership team. 

As the media and advertising landscape continued to evolve, the business recognised the need to modernise how it engaged with advertisers, agencies and partners, while creating a more integrated and commercially accountable organisation. 

The business required a Managing Director of Advertising to lead a sales organisation of c.150-person and take ownership of the broader commercial revenue agenda. 

The successful candidate needed to: 

• Lead large-scale revenue strategy and delivery  
• Drive cultural and behavioural transformation across the sales organisation  
• Build deeper, more strategic client relationships  
• Embed a more consultative, data-led sales approach  
• Operate credibly at C-suite level internally and externally  

This was a mission critical role. The challenge was identifying a leader capable of balancing immediate commercial impact with long-term organisational transformation within a highly competitive talent market. 

Mail Metro Media selected 3Search Executive due to our deep expertise within the media and advertising landscape, with an established network of senior commercial leaders. 

Dominic Warman delivered a full retained executive search process, including: 

• Building an extensive market map of approximately 200 senior commercial profiles  
• Proactively engaging and qualifying highly relevant candidates  
• Conducting detailed competency-based interviews  
• Providing benchmarking and market insight throughout the process  
• Supporting a structured, multi-stage interview and assessment process  

The search was designed not only to identify the best candidate, but also to help pressure-test and refine the brief against the realities of the market. 

Dominic acted as a strategic advisor throughout the process, adding value through: 

• Comprehensive market mapping: We developed a detailed view of the market, allowing the client to understand the full talent landscape beyond active candidates. 
• Access to hard-to-reach talent: Through existing relationships across the media and advertising sector, we engaged candidates who would not typically be accessible through traditional recruitment routes. 
• Balancing pace with rigour: We moved quickly while maintaining a structured and highly detailed assessment process. 
• Transparent communication: Regular updates, clear feedback loops and ongoing market insight ensured alignment across all stakeholders throughout the search. 
• Strategic advisory support: We helped refine the brief, calibrate expectations and guide decision-making as the process evolved.

3Search Executive successfully appointed a Managing Director of Advertising to lead Mail Metro Media’s next phase of commercial growth and transformation. 

The appointment provides the business with a senior leader capable of: 

• Driving revenue growth across a complex media ecosystem  
• Embedding a more strategic and client-centric sales approach  
• Strengthening relationships with major advertisers and partners  
• Improving alignment, accountability and performance across the commercial organisation  

While still early in the tenure, the appointment represents a major milestone in Mail Metro Media’s wider commercial transformation journey.