Account Leadership
8 WEEKS, 2 HOURS PER WEEK
(30-MINUTE VIDEO LECTURE, 90-MINUTE TUTORIAL & ASSESSMENTS)
Turn trust into loyalty. Become the go-to leader clients and teams rely on.
about this course
Agencies today demand account managers who lead with vision and influence—driving creativity, trust, and results. This course equips you with a dynamic toolkit that sharpens essential skills in strategy, creative development, pitching, digital, and media while also strengthening leadership, relationship-building, and personal branding to position you as an indispensable force in your agency.
You’ll gain expertise in:
Strategic client management
Master strategic thinking, brand stewardship, and problem-solving. Build trust by anticipating client needs, responding to market shifts, and delivering innovative solutions.
Leadership in a modern agency
Advance beyond client skills to lead teams and projects effectively. Learn to manage multidisciplinary groups, foster high performance, and create an inclusive environment.
Emerging trends and industry insights
Stay ahead with insights on trends like AI, data privacy, and sustainable marketing. Equip yourself to guide clients through change and strengthen your agency’s advisory role.
Who’s it for?
Ideal for account, client, brand, and business managers with 2–5 years’ experience looking to elevate their strategic and leadership skills. Perfect for those eager to deepen their understanding of commercial creativity and strengthen their impact in client and team management.
Meet your Facilitators & Lecturers
From one of the ad industry’s best agency growth leaders to seasoned managing directors, CEOs, strategic advisors and HR directors, AdSchool Account Leadership gives you access to key insights and learnings from over 15 experts with lived experience.
Weekly facilitators (live session)
Video lecturers (pre-recorded)
COURSE STRUCTURE & CONTENT
Over eight short weeks, you’ll be delivered bite-sized content designed to fit your schedule—anytime, anywhere. The best part? It takes no more than three hours a week.
Duration
Part-time.
Delivery
Pre-recorded 30-minute video lectures for flexible learning combined with in-person 90-minute tutorials to help you apply theory to practice. Weekly tutes for online courses will be delivered virtually.
Assessment:
Practical projects, collaborative exercises, and a final capstone presentation to industry peers and mentors.
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Week 1: Leadership
Lecturers: Chiquita King
- Introduction
- What defines great leadership?
- Difference between a manager and a leader
- What defines your leadership now vs. desired future state
Week 2: Building client relationships
Lecturers: Lauren Portelli and Nicole Bardsley
- What clients really need from Account Managers
- How to build trusted client relationships
- Managing client conflict
Week 3: Strategy and effectiveness
Lecturer: Mike Redfern
- What defines great strategy / how do we manufacture effectiveness
- What a great brief looks like / the importance of great insights
- The strategic process
- How to sell great strategy
Week 4: Selling the value of creativity
Lecturer: Sheryl Marjoram
- Key financial tools
- How can you maximise profitability on your project/client?
- How can you grow revenue?
- What your CFO needs from you in your role
Week 5: Grow your career
Lecturer: Lea Walker and Maddy Mursa
- How to take control of your career growth
- The importance of feedback
- How to manage up, down and sideways
- Building your personal brand
- Developing your network / mentors
Week 6: The creative process
Lecturers: Belinda Drew and Damon Stapleton
- How to get the best out of the creative department
- How to write a brilliant brief
- How to judge creative work
- How to give good creative feedback
- How to add value to the creative process
Week 7: Presenting and pitching
Lecturer: Clare Pickens
- How to give a winning presentation
- The difference between pitching and presenting
- The dark art of new business
- Your role in a new business pitch
Week 8: Pitch
This industry-certified course includes homework/assessments.
See how it has worked for others
“Learnt so much throughout the course and absolutely love it!”
Wendy Hoang
Business Manager, Special Australia
“This course provided me with immensely useful knowledge… Such a brilliant group of mentors and fellow students.”
Claire Zadko
Account Manager, Perth is OK!
Why AdSchool?
Why AdSchool?Quality education you can trust
AdSchool’s industry-certified learning combines rigour with real-world application, preparing you for the dynamic challenges of our industry.
“Fly the Standard” of professionalism
Join a forward-thinking community setting new benchmarks for strategic excellence in Australian advertising and marketing.
Belong to a community
AdSchool’s supportive space for high achievers connects you with industry experts, mentors, and peers committed to advancing their – and your – craft.