Account Director

Group Account Director is a leadership role among different stakeholders, including clients, internal account, creative, cross capabilities. He/She is a key driver of the business stability as well as growth.

The role is critical to the success of the business. The person must be capable of helping to deliver the Ogilvy strategy, specifically developing best practices typically for a range of clients under the direct responsibility of this person.

The GAD is responsible for the overall delivery of an assigned Client or a pool of Clients. He/She manages a team of Account people that are tasked with the day to day Client Service for these Clients. The GAD is responsible for assuring delivery while delivering outstanding strategic advice and excellent creative delivery.

**Responsibilities**:
**Client Management**
- With the line manager, responsible for achieving total revenues and direct contribution to accounts under your control
- Work with the relevant parties to deliver financial targets and control costs
- With the line manager, support the development of the yearly business plan and monthly dialogue reports for all key accounts
- Independently and in partnership with the appropriate Ogilvy partners, develop, refine and implement business development strategy
- Manage and ensure quality of our services to Clients
- Management and handling of key client briefs, projects and requests, including the refinement of the above
- Typical day-to-day management of clients and their requests including presentations, documentation, client activity administration, etc.
- Present and pitch our services to potential clients in a competitive context
- Support line manager in developing initiatives and new business opportunities
- Maintain high-level contacts within business and industry relations
- Handle sensitive topics and provide issue management consulting

**Strategy**
- Provide account planning and strategic support to key Clients, this requires the GAD to have strategic planning capabilities, including basic brand planning, digital engagement planning, communication planning, etc.
- Provide Clients counsel in the development of successful customer management strategies
- Understand industry/market trends and the success factors critical to the organization’slong-term sustainability and competitiveness. Be able to adopt learnings/highlights to client’s proposals proactively
- Understand theoffering of the 6 Capabilities
- Modify business plans based on changing business conditions

**Creative Leadership**
- Passionate about good ideas, nurtures the ideas of others
- Demonstrate enthusiasm for the creative industry in general and bring curiosity and creativity to daily work
- Have the ability to inspire, talent and patience to help generate “Big Ideas” with legs, ideas that are effective and sell for the brand
- Earn the trust and respect of creative colleagues
- Give good direction and feedback; contribute ideas; push for better work
- Willing to challenge Clients to accept our best ideas and then sell them well
- Help to ensure execution of the highest quality are well represented

**Leadership & People Management**
- Establish himself/herself as a role model
- Identify good talents, inspire people to want to work for/follow him/her
- Have an inspiring and approachable style of leadership, strive to make things better
- Respect and believe in others, strive to bring out their inner greatness, ensure the development and appropriate training of team members, and build an efficientteam with high morale
- Make and take responsibility for, and demonstrate commitment to appropriate decisions in a timely manner, esp. when significant information is incomplete and/or ambiguous
- Have a broad perspective and be open to varied options
- Abide by the WPP code of business conduct

**Qualifications**:

- 8+years of experience in communications or related field; industry experience preferred
- Team-leading experience
- Proven excellence in leadership
- Strong verbal and presentation skills with the ability to speak knowledgably with high level executives internally and with Clients
- Detail-oriented, organized and dedicated; proactive and enthusiastic with an ability to juggle multiple tasks and meet deadlines; a quick learner
- Advanced knowledge of working software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)