The Communications Council forms Account Management Group lead by Sputnik’s Kelly-Jade Penton & CumminRoss’ Amanda Kramer

The Communications Council today announced plans for the formation for an Account Management Group, giving a voice to Australia’s account management professionals.

Currently in its formative stages, the group is spearheaded by two senior account management professionals, Sputnik’s Kelly-Jade Penton and CumminsRoss’ Amanda Kramer. (pictured left to right).

Interested participants, including anyone who would like to engage with the group as a consultant or event speaker, can contact Gawen Rudder on 0282973807.  

Sitting under The Communications Council framework, the Account Management Group Australia (AMGA) is being created to champion the value of advertising account management within Australia and aims to provide a professional development path to account managers within the industry.

Says Kramer: “The industry has changed. Learning is organic and technology has affected the way people metabolise information. These changes call for a new way of doing things if we are to keep up with the times. For ‘suits’ and run by ‘suits’, the business model of the AMGA will be focused on leveraging the industry’s collective wisdom to encourage learning, ultimately with the goal of increasing the real and perceived quality of our output as business managers in the industry we’re all so passionate about.”

Apart from providing a community and enabling conversations, the group’s long term objectives include developing and promoting education of account management skill-sets within agencies; providing support for transitions between account management positions; creating a knowledge bank with case studies, trend reports and other research relevant to account managers and other initiatives to help inspire the real and perceived value account managers offer their agencies. The group will also look into opportunities to nurture new talent through mentorships and the provision of tailored resources.

Says Margaret Zabel, CEO The Communications Council: “Under the Comms Council umbrella, AWARD is a community for creatives, while the Account Planning Group brings together planners. Account managers have historically not had such a community so we are delighted that there is momentum for a group to champion account management, both towards agencies, as well as with their clients.  We wholeheartedly support this initiative and look forward to identifying where we can provide account management professionals value.”

With industry input into the group’s formation and agenda a key necessity, there are three openings for senior account managers to assist in the launch of the group, and management of its activities, both in Victoria, the state from which the core group will operate, and at state level to ensure a national footprint.