The role and influence of senior management in KAM Dublin Institute of Technology 30th March 2017 Professionalising Key Account Management

AKAM – on a mission to professionalise key account management Why AKAM? Increasing strategic importance of key accounts and therefore key account management. Commonly poor understanding of KAM and idiosyncratic practice. Lack of recognised principles/processes/tools to apply to practice Lack of globally recognised professional qualification for key account managers, or universally accepted competencies. Lack of broad, balanced and relevant community to develop those competencies Relatively low levels of research to support practitioners AKAM – on a mission to professionalise key account management

AKAM The AKAM community Key account managers & directors Corporates: companies & colleges AKAM Academics: researchers & teachers Consultants & trainers

Who are we? Current Board members Diana Woodburn Chairman, UK Tony Buckley Treasurer, Ireland Mike Green KAM Director, UK Richard Ilsley Consultant, UK Armelle Dupont GAM, Switzerland Jakob Rehme Professor, Sweden Antonella La Rocca Researcher, Norway Ivan Snehota Professor, Switzerland Freddy Couchy KAM, France Björn Ivens Professor, Germany

How are we fulfilling our mission? Building the community and the network Building Member Resource Centre on website Developing meetings, workshops and conference, across Europe Launching the AKAM Diploma in Key Account Management Certifying KAM development programmes from independent providers Facilitating research projects

Agenda Session 9.30 Welcome and agenda Introduction to the KAM challenge for senior management Dr Diana Woodburn, AKAM Chairman 10.15 The senior manager’s role in optimising team potential Doug Gordon, Head of European Distribution, Davy Asset Management 12.00 Senior management involvement in KAM Dr Lesley Murphy, Faculty of Marketing, Dublin Institute of Technology 1.00 Lunch 2.00 Senior management involvement in KAM: Feedback on discussion 2.30 AKAM development 3.15 A General Manager in position, a Key Account Manager at heart How to make KAM the axis of the business Dominykas Cibulskas, General Manager, Walmark, Baltic States 4.45 Close

Reflections on the role and influence of senior management in KAM Professionalising Key Account Management

A definition of KAM Key/strategic account management is a supplier-led process of inter-organisational collaboration that creates unique value for both supplier and strategically important customers. Woodburn and Wilson , Handbook of Strategic Account Management, 2014

Organisational and individual roles in KAM

Intervening Cultural Factors Senior management impact in a model of linkages between organisational elements Moderating Factors Consistency of commitment Ability to change Intervening Cultural Factors Differentiation sales v K/SAM Results/time orientation Customer orientation Operational alignment Structure K/SAM activities & outcomes Strategy Systems & Processes Wilson and Woodburn, Journal of Marketing Management, 2013

Organisation and culture The journey to BP KAM Strategy and planning Organisation and culture Processes Woodburn, Cranfield School of Management, 2006

What do you want from senior management? Understanding Commitment Medium/long-term view Consistency Flexibility Involvement? And……