Global CFO Excellence Awards 2021

6 Acquisition International - Global CFO Excellence Awards 2021 creative approach has enabled the team to make startling progress. Since implementing these new ideas in 2019, the team has been able to reduce its operational costs significantly, with a structure that supports better taxation while having less administration. Zero Based Budgeting has always been the firm’s method and technology, the way to facilitating it. Mr. Correa’s careful plans have ensured that Wunderman Thompson can not only track the progress of the business, but is able to measure the performance that is being made and correct any deviation that might arise. This investment and consideration of how to implement the latest technology has clearly been a boon to the business, opening the doors to many different projects. It’s a key component of every aspect of the business, enabling the team to perform even more impressive feats while also tracking their progress in a way that is easy and effective. Instead of worrying about how a project will be completed, Mr. Correa’s plans have ensured that the team can focus on what they feel most passionate about – finding creative solutions that ensure that their clients can thrive in a rapidly changing world. While Mr. Correa has spent many years exploring ways of supporting his various colleagues at every stage of the business, he has also seen the value of developing his own set of skills. His driving personality means that he is never completely satisfied and always pushing to become a better version of himself, with the aim to act as a better leader with a team that is as strong as possible. The strength of Mr. Correa’s finance team has been a valuable part of his success story, allowing him to build an approach that takes account of every possible variable. “I am sure I have the best finance team and that generates me a very big responsibility to continue motivating them and giving opportunities, while at the same time developing their career path and helping them to achieve all of their professional goals”, said Mr Correa. The environment this has fostered is incredibly positive, motivating even better results from all concerned. The result is that the team are able to drive forward big decisions that affect the whole company, keeping the business in a state of constant improvement. The success of this can be clearly seen in the KPIs of the organization since his hiring in 2018. There’s enormous trust in the team not just to come up with ideas that will shake up the business, but that will create new paths to success as well. When Mr. Correa came to the business, it was as someone who would be able to lead the company forward into a new era of prosperity. To him, leadership is what drives the firm’s behaviors, through behaviors teams drive their culture and culture is what makes strategy execution possible in each one of Wunderman Thompson’s collaborators. From the top of the business, all the way down, Mr. Correa’s ideas and proposals have ensured an environment that is different to any other business, enabling individuals to thrive in a way that supports the growth of the business. It’s clear that Mr. Correa has taken an approach which is a major success for the marketing industry as a whole, and the lessons he has learned are clear. It’s vital that companies believe in the power of leadership, behaviors and culture to drive strategy. Even companies with the best technical resources fall flat when they do not have their talented teams on hand to support them through the transitional stage. The last few years have seen immense difficulties for businesses, and there is a need for organizations that can adapt quickly not only to immediate crises, but to larger structural changes as well. The role of technology, therefore, will perhaps be the biggest influencer on business decisions in the long run. Implementing these new processes into operations and finances is something that must be completed carefully and in alignment, making sure that firms can make the most of what these technologies have to offer. Too many businesses have made it a policy to make decisions that are slow, and not necessarily fact based, but the key to Mr. Correa’s success has been to carefully explore all the options and conduct an integrated solution from all of the group functions departments before making isolated moves towards the world of business as it will be tomorrow. Perhaps the biggest indicator of Mr. Correa’s success is his expansion of what being a CFO really means. Instead of focusing purely on the finances, he has taken the time to explore what impact the values of a company can have and how every decision made in his office has an effect on the world around him. His holistic view has been crucial to securing success, building up strong lines of communication with every level and area of Wunderman Thompson/ WPP. Any propositions brought about by him have gained the solid backing of all parts of the company, which has been key to securing continued success on all levels. Mr. Correa has brought unprecedented success to the team at Wunderman Thompson. His work has transformed the business from a traditional creative agency to a world-beating growth company. It’s a success that is built on his passion for people as well as his knowledge of numbers. There’s plenty to learn from his considerable experience which has placed the firm in such a solid position for the next few years of change. Company: Wunderman Thompson Name: Agustín Correa Email: [email protected] For more than 20,000 professionals in 90 countries, the name Wunderman Thompson is a beacon of light and hope. The firm’s role has grown dramatically over the years, leading various clients into a new world that embraces the potential of innovation at every level. Through the provision of creative, data and technology solutions, the firm has become an international success story, opening up new and invaluable avenues of growth.