Account Director
On this page
- What's it like to be an Account Director?
- How to become an Account Director
- Top skills and experience for Account Directors
What's it like to be an Account Director?
An Account Director is the senior point of contact in an agency across various industries, such as advertising, marketing, public relations, and sales. Their duties involve supervising teams, specifically Account Managers and Executives, managing budgets, and setting targets for the creative team. They oversee each client’s campaign and the progress of the creatives responsible for it.
Tasks and duties
- Overseeing the process of running campaigns and projects.
- Developing client management strategies.
- Bringing clients to the company by managing new business efforts.
- Creating strategies to retain existing clients.
- Setting budgets, goals, and quotas for the team and ensuring they are met in a timely manner.
- Negotiating contracts with clients.
- Monitoring project and campaign statuses.
- Reporting the team’s progress and goals to senior leadership and stakeholders.
How to become an Account Director
Account Directors must have extensive experience in leadership, client and relationship management and negotiation, strong communication skills, and strategic thinking. If you are in a specialized industry such as IT, a background in the field is also required.
Complete a bachelor degree. Some hirers may not be particular with the degree you completed but some prefer those who have completed degrees in business, marketing, or advertising. Some may favor an educational background in a specific industry such as IT.
Gain work experience and move up to being an Account Manager and then Director. Account Directors often begin as Sales or Account Executives.
Consider undertaking a postgraduate degree in management or a Master of Business Administration (MBA). As an alternative, you can also explore joining short seminars. A broader knowledge of management is an advantage and is preferred for more senior roles.
Work closely with Account Directors for mentorship and guidance.
