Ask ten people what great account management looks like, and you’ll likely get ten different answers.
Once defined by relationship management and delivery, the role has expanded into something far less easy to pin down: part strategist, part creative protector, part leader. As marketing has grown more complex, so too has the expectation on those responsible for holding it all together.
For Edward Hughes, Client Services Director at BMF Australia, that evolution is long overdue.
“The idea of the ‘suit’ doesn’t really cut it anymore,” he says. “You need to understand enough about every discipline to add value, whether your strategist or creative is in the room or not.”
That breadth, however, is only one side of the equation. The real challenge lies in what Ed describes as becoming a “jack of all trades, master of one”.
“You won’t outdo the specialists in their craft,” he says. “But your role is to understand each one well enough to bring it together and to create an environment where people can do their best work.”
That means leading across a wide mix of personalities, skillsets and priorities often simultaneously. It’s less about managing the process and more about shaping how the work comes together.
Lisa Gumbleton, Group Head of Creative Strategy and Client Management at Think HQ, has seen that shift play out across more than two decades in the industry.
“Demonstrate an understanding and passion for strategy, and, in my experience, you’ll go further. At its core, strategy is about focus, confidence and leadership,” she says.
For Lisa, strong account leadership is grounded in clear thinking and the ability to cut through complexity, guiding both clients and teams towards a better answer.
“Smart, clear thinking leads to powerful communication that drives change,” she says. “Whether that’s launching a brand, shifting behaviour, or working on causes that genuinely make a difference.”
Across both perspectives, a common theme emerges: the role is no longer about keeping things moving. It’s about knowing where things should go and having the confidence to guide them there.
That shift is exactly what Tori Lopez, Managing Director at Special Group Australia, focuses on in AdSchool’s Account Leadership course.
Designed for account managers with three to five years’ experience, the program dives into the skills required to lead both internally and externally.
“Over eight weeks, we focus on what it takes to effectively lead teams, navigate more complex conversations, and step into that next level of responsibility,” Tori says.
For those looking to move beyond execution and into true leadership, it’s a transition that increasingly defines the role and one that, until recently, has largely been learned the hard way.
AdSchool’s Account Leadership course is built to help you move from managing the work to actually leading it. Starts May 21 in Sydney, Melbourne and online. Places are limited: https://bit.ly/4sqdNA2