The KAM of the Year Award welcomes applications and nominations from around the world, including North America, South America, Australia, Asia and many regions of Europe. A wide range of industries and customers are covered. All short-listed applications have a particularly high standard.
Pfizer, Brazil
Sandro built a high level of trust with a large hospital group, which resulted in their sharing with him deep insights about a priority issue they faced. Sandro investigated and explored potential solutions. He uncovered key information from contacts in the hospital, others in Pfizer and knowledgeable external parties.
He then collaborated with the hospital and other experts to create and deliver an excellent new solution that addressed the hospital’s issue. The approach required engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The new solution has proven highly successful, improving patient experience and the hospital’s effectiveness, and feedback from the hospital has been very positive. An excellent solution-orientated approach.
Sandro said, “Thank you very much, I am very happy to be part of this select group of professionals!! My eternal gratitude to our work team integrated into the accounts, and thank you AKAM, this initiative contributes a lot to inspire more colleagues to share their achievements.”
The judges were impressed by all the finalists, yet would like to particularly mention Steve Thomson from EMCOR UK for sustained work driving key account management approaches. “In particular, Steve created great value for a key customer and EMCOR through setting up shared data management. This data improves utilisation of resource, monitors safety and raises the overall professionalism of the solutions EMCOR UK offers. It has provided the framework for a customer partnership which is going from strength to strength.”
Axcelis, France
As Global Account Manager Thierry was tasked with delivering a partnership between his company, Axcelis, and a customer challenged to meet the needs of its own customer in the very fast-growing electric vehicle market. Thierry demonstrates a true passion for key account management and has blended strong KAM disciplines with creative approaches.
He engaged customer and internal resources across countries, driving actions through his energy, use of metrics and dashboards. He developed high levels of insight about the customer and market and deployed them to motivate positive team behaviours, which proved to be vital in creating and implementing solutions for the customer. They enabled the customer to meet major ramp-ups in demand requirements, achieving major share gains for Thierry’s own organisation with this customer.
Axcelis got great ratings from the customer scorecard and achieved no.1 position in many categories including ‘roadmap alignment’, ‘maintenance support’ and ‘account management’.
Thierry’s demonstration of the power of key account management methodologies is being shared inside his organisation so others can learn from it and build further action for the future.
Thierry said, “I’m very honored to receive the Award. When I learned about the KAM of the Year Award, I saw a great opportunity for me to formalize the methodologies developed over the years and to describe at high level the tools and strategies utilized.
Only filling the application form was already a great achievement and feeling. I would encourage anybody to join AKAM and this program to continue to grow and learn.”
Bob Delwig from Pfizer CentreOne played a key role in championing and delivering a major project with a strategic customer, which was not without issues to overcome, over a considerable period of time.
Bob did a great job of recognizing and appreciating the role of others within his organisation for the progress made, while he himself played an essential part in planning and gaining internal and customer buy-in to this high investment project, a ‘first of its kind’. The project – and Bob – delivered a highly positive outcome for Pfizer, for the customer and very importantly for patients too.
Scheidt & Bachmann, US
“Maggie Free is a well-deserved winner: she showed exceptional focus, resilience and tenacity as a key account manager by stepping in to re-build trust after her organisation had suffered a serious setback with a strategically important transport customer. Maggie and her team maintained their clear focus, plan and long-term perspective despite complex hurdles and push-backs. Through sustained focus, deep listening to the customer, responsiveness and guidance, customer engagement has been transformed.
Internally, close interactions with senior management and global operations refuelled the appetite to grow with this customer. Collaboration with Human Resources enabled the selection and training of a cross-functional team supporting the construction of the value proposition.
Following the proactive proposal of a new solution to address the customers challenge, Maggie and the team won high-value business with further opportunities ahead. Maggie’s sustained application of key account management has been crucial to transforming the relationship and future prospects.
Pfizer, US
A very worthy winner – a passionate key account manager who actively employs KAM to change customer perceptions and attention.
Amanda has built commitment and alignment across leadership, multi-functional, customer and internal groups and developed insight-led value propositions through the voice of the customer and stakeholder research. See Amanda’s video to find out how.
She showed a joined-up approach in which strategy and execution were powerfully linked, bringing about strong commercial gains and wider benefits for society.
Clear value has been delivered, with strong customer endorsement opening up future opportunities for continued productive collaboration.
Pfizer, France
The judges found that Marc demonstrated essential KAM characteristics and best practices really well.
He had to deal with a complex and challenging account, and his continuous commitment has been vital in gaining the internal and customer support needed to advance relationships and results. He managed the creation of customised solutions and tools that have been vital to success.
Thanks to his analytical skills, Marc has introduced and managed performance metrics and governance for success. He has also changed his own mindset to embrace the broader requirements of KAM, over and above his originally sales-focused approach.
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