Sessions
SAM Program Design, Structure, and Management
Critical Skills for Strategic Account Managers
Trends in Strategic Account Management
Keynote
Session
Monday Keynote
Beyond Grit: The art & science of collective resilience
May 18: 8:30 am – 9:30 am
Liz Bohannon’s authenticity in championing workplace cultures of connection and community stems from her profound understanding of the human experience within organizations she has built and helped scale …
Session
Tuesday Keynote
Richelle Deveau from McKinsey & Company
May 19: 8:30 am – 9:45 am
Details coming soon.
Session
Wednesday Keynote
High-Stakes Alignment: The missing link between strategic accounts and innovation
May 20: 8:30 am – 9:30 am
Adrian is an international speaker, business strategist, and trusted advisor for chief executives and sales leaders. He speaks on the subjects of key account management and strategic selling. Adrian is …
Session
Bonus Session
Turning Your Account Plan into a Revenue-Generating Machine
May 17: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
What does it mean to manage your account “like a business?” It means managing the account with an “account business plan” that provides a vision for strategic growth …
Session
101
Strategic Account Selection and Metrics That Drive Real Results at bioMérieux
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
This session will provide an overview of the annual governance program used at bioMérieux to guide strategic account management. The discussion will cover a practical sequence of steps, including the development of account plans and supporting tactical plans, target setting, …
Session
102
Proving SAM Value to Your Organization: Harnessing voice of customer (VOC) to drive strategic improvement and showcase measurable impact
May 18: 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
This session explores how strategic account management (SAM) teams can harness voice of the customer (VOC) insights to demonstrate program impact, deepen client relationships, and drive …
Session
103
From Talk to Transformation: How leaders embed cross-functional discipline for strategic account success
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
In a complex, highly regulated environment, Pfizer faced the challenge many leadership teams encounter: how to move beyond SAM training to sustained behavioral change that drives measurable …
Session
104
The Adaptability Advantage: Future-proofing strategic accounts
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
Strategic account management has always been about balancing structure with flexibility. But in today’s environment, where customer priorities shift overnight, executives rotate regularly, and disruption is constant, process and planning are not enough. The ability to adapt is the new strategic …
Session
105
From Quota Chasers to Trusted Advisors: Winning with aligned, customer-centric account planning
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
In today’s market, buyers don’t just want vendors. They want strategic partners who understand their world and help them win. Yet despite teams believing they’re operating with best practices, …
Session
106
The SAM Leader’s Playbook: Enabling and empowering SAM teams
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Strategic account management is a team sport, and leaders play a pivotal role in ensuring their SAMs can thrive. Regardless of title — CEO, GM, country manager, or leader of strategic, national, or key accounts — the expectations of SAM leaders are clear: Enable SAMs to achieve superior results …
Session
107
Inside the Build: How Boehringer Ingelheim established a high-performing strategic account management program office
May 18: 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Building a world-class strategic account management (SAM) function requires more than appointing account managers — it demands deliberate structure, aligned leadership, disciplined enablement, …
Session
108
Harnessing the Hypercare Approach for Rapid Scaling and Impact
May 18: 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
In today’s dynamic commercial landscape, speed to impact is everything. When implementing a new key account management strategy, companies need to quickly show proof points and be ready to adapt as theory meets the real world. Hypercare is a strategic approach that goes …
Session
109
Customer-Led, Team-Enabled ABM: Turning strategic accounts into real growth engines
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
There’s no shortage of ABM frameworks, canvases, and buzzwords. What’s missing is the impact inside real strategic accounts. In this session, we unpack why many ABM programs stall at campaigns, content, and technology stacks — and how to …
Session
110
Investigator, Interpreter, Reporter: How high-performing programs are building insight capability with the commercial insight strategist
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Strategic account management was never meant to be a solo sport, yet many SAM programs are asking individual account managers to carry the full burden of research, insight development, and strategic …
Session
111
The End of Average: Multiplying top-performer results at scale
May 18: 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
Discover how to transform your sales organization by elevating average performers to top-tier status. This session provides actionable strategies and real-world insights to help you scale excellence across your team. …
Session
112
KAM Strategy: From decision to delivery
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
How does an organization move from “We should do KAM” to “We deliver measurable impact”? In this session, Terumo Interventional Systems pulls back the curtain on its end-to-end journey of adopting and operationalizing key account management.
Attendees will hear how the company made the strategic decision to pursue KAM, …
Session
113
Winning the B2B Pricing Game: Strategies for multi-tiered, long-cycle, and global deals
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Complex B2B deals demand pricing strategies that work across customer tiers, long sales cycles, and diverse global markets. In this session, you will learn how to maintain profitability and consistency while meeting different customer needs. We will cover how to segment and adapt pricing for …
Session
114
From Framework to Forward Momentum: The realities of building a SAM program in a mid-sized firm
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking SAM programs can only be implemented effectively by the big companies, with big teams and big budgets. In small and mid-sized firms, where strategic account management is every bit as critical, …
Session
115
Evolving Executive Sponsorship: Hilton’s strategic expansion one year later
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
In 2025, Hilton introduced its executive sponsorship program for global platinum key accounts, spotlighting a strategic framework to deepen relationships with top-tier clients. The session drew strong engagement, with presenters representing governance, SAM leader, and SAM practitioner …
Session
116
Your Sales Strategy Isn’t the Problem, Execution Is — and Playbooks Don’t Execute
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
May 20: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
This session features executive lessons on how Sonoco embedded strategy into everyday account decisions.
Strategic account leaders invest heavily in frameworks, playbooks, and training, yet many continue to face a persistent challenge: leader strategy that does not translate into consistent …
Session
117
From Buzzword to Practice: What customer-centricity really looks like in SAM
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 20: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Many organizations say they are customer centric. Few are. In strategic account management, true customer-centricity is not about sending surveys or hosting quarterly business reviews — it’s about co-creating value, anticipating needs, incorporating feedback into account plans, and …
Session
118
Executive Sponsorship That Works: Turning senior leaders into growth champions
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Executive sponsorship — done right — creates executive-level customer relationships, accelerates growth, and removes internal barriers. Done poorly, it can undermine the SAM, create confusion, and erode trust. This panel will clarify what good looks like, …
Session
119
Building High-Impact SAM Programs: Best-and-next insights from SAMA Excellence Award winners worldwide
May 18: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Double Session
Successful strategic account management (SAM) programs don’t happen by chance — they require thoughtful organizational design, intentional C-suite engagement, and an organization’s top talent to lead and execute with discipline. …
Session
120
Prove It or Lose It: Defending your KAM program with data
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
May 20: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Most organizations believe that key account management is important. Far fewer can prove its impact.
As executive teams demand measurable outcomes and enterprise AI initiatives require structured data, KAM leaders are increasingly being asked to answer difficult questions …
Session
201
Stakeholder Mapping
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
May 20: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Strategic accounts are complex environments where decisions are shaped by networks of stakeholders rather than a single decision maker. To drive revenue and deepen partnerships, strategic account managers must see the full stakeholder landscape clearly, …
Session
202
Inside Healthcare C-Suite: Building strategic partnerships that stick
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am and 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Pharmaceutical decision-making has become more complex, interconnected, and value-driven than ever. Strategic account managers face mounting pressure to move beyond access and create partnerships that resonate with top executives. In this dynamic panel discussion, senior leaders from the …
Session
203
Value Co-Creation: Developing and articulating your account value portfolio
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am and 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Can your customer articulate the value of partnering with you and your organization when you are not present? What would they say to their leadership when asked why they should continue to work with you and your organization? Is it in their words, or is it your terminology? Is it clear, concise, and …
Session
204
Leveraging the Account Team for Selling a Challenge-Driven Portfolio: Driving cross-unit sales of cybersecurity services
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Customers in the digital environment expect partners to collaborate with them on solutions that understand and address their world and their challenges. The session explores what works, what doesn’t, and why selling twice (first internal, then …
Session
205
Executive Presence for SAMs
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 20: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Your customer’s senior executives think differently, decide differently, and expect to engage differently. Yet many SAMs still bring “account manager energy” into rooms that require “executive partner presence.”
This session focuses on developing the gravitas, communication skills, and strategic framing needed to succeed in C-suite engagements. We’ll explore …
Session
206
Building a Competitive Strategy to Effectively Differentiate Yourself and Win
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
Most sales professionals deeply understand their own product’s features and functions — but far fewer truly understand their competitors. In today’s hyper competitive markets, that gap has real consequences. Competitive blind spots shape how customers evaluate options, how value …
Session
207
Developing Business & Financial Acumen
May 18: 2:15 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Double Session
This 2.5-hour interactive workshop, led by a former CFO responsible for evaluating investments and selecting vendors, is designed specifically for strategic and global account managers who must engage effectively with C-level decision makers to win complex B2B deals.
Drawing from the SAMA Competency Model and proven …
Session
208
Master the Customer Conversation: Use brain science, AI, and big data to generate measurable sales lift
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
May 20: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Customer conversations can go wrong in myriad ways and no small wonder: they are one of the most-challenging business environments SAMs face. To succeed you must be a masterful story creator AND a masterful storyteller. Additionally, you must be …
Session
209
Discounting Is Not a Negotiation Strategy
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Margin pressure is not new, but in today’s complex buying environments it is arriving earlier, involving more stakeholders, and demanding a more disciplined response. In this session, Think! Inc. shares how you can transform negotiation preparation from an individual skill into a scalable …
Session
210
Account Planning That Works: Three perspectives from inside AVI-SPL
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
In this session, you will learn about three different perspectives involved in the account plan process at AVI-SPL. From leadership, program, and SAM perspectives, we will explore what is most impactful for each. Focused on the balance between finance, strategy, and action, …
Session
211
Selling to Senior-Level Executives
May 19: 10:15 am – 1:15 pm
May 20: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Double Session
As SAMs, our roles are important. To do our jobs well, we need to interact effectively with people at all levels in the customer’s organization. However, the senior executive level — where the business impact of our solutions can truly be appreciated — remains challenging to access. We recognize that to sell the value of our solutions …
Session
213
Building Account Growth Strategies That Drive Revenue and Relationship Expansion
May 18: 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Managing your account like a business isn’t easy. It requires a combination of critical and strategic thinking that results in leading your team with a vision for account growth, …
Session
214
Collaborative Problem Solving for Strategic Accounts
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
Strategic accounts stall when teams defend positions instead of working through problems together. This session focuses on practical ways to navigate disagreement, align stakeholders, and move complex account conversations forward with confidence. …
Session
215
Premier’s 5000% ROI: Driving value through strategic partnerships
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
May 20: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Discover how Premier achieved extraordinary growth by transforming relationships into meaningful strategic partnerships. In this session, a strategic account manager and a senior leader will share a compelling story of how intentional collaboration and leadership engagement delivered a 5000% return on investment. …
Session
301
AI in Action: Transforming strategic account management
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future concept; it’s a present-day differentiator in strategic account management. At last year’s conference, AI was the hot topic. This year, we’ll go beyond the buzz and explore how TreviPay has put AI into practice to streamline account management processes and …
Session
302
Mastering the Matrix: Real-world lessons in strategic collaboration
May 18: 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
This interactive session highlights best practices in matrix teaming drawn from real-world strategic account collaborations within a leading pharmaceutical organization. Anchored in the Collaborative Quotient (CQ)™ framework and the 7Ds of Leading High-Performing Teams, it explores …
Session
303
Partnering with AI: Smarter Decisions, Stronger Relationship
May 18: 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
You’ve worked hard to develop outstanding customer relationships by being the real personal value proposition for your company’s brand. AI has emerged as a tempting short cut for various aspects of your account management work. This highly interactive breakout session based on MIT AI certification research …
Session
304
AI in Key Account Management: What’s hype and what’s actually working
May 18: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
AI is everywhere in the conversation, but how much of the promise is becoming real in key account management? This session takes an honest look at where AI adoption in KAM stands today, drawing on real examples and evidence from organizations putting it into practice.
Session
305
Building Resilience to Thrive Through Change
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
This session explores the science and practice of resilience. We will examine how resilience fuels sustained success and how every person, regardless of title, can strengthen their ability to adapt, recover, and grow. Attendees will learn practical tools and strategies to cultivate resilience at the personal, team, and organizational level.
Session
306
Navigating AI Powered Procurement: How to stay competitive and win
May 18: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
Like it or not, we have entered the age of AI. What does that mean for you? It means procurement at your accounts is using AI tools, and not in a friendly way. AI is changing the game for procurement organizations, who are entering a fevered dream state of access to limitless information …
Session
307
Practical AI for Strategic Account Managers: Elevating SAMA fundamentals with everyday generative tools
May 19: 4:15 pm – 5:30 pm
May 20: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
This session is designed for SAMs who want to improve performance without relying on expensive, proprietary AI platforms. We will focus on what SAMs can do right now with the tools they already have access to — helping them work smarter, deepen …
Session
308
Strategic Portfolio Optimization: Turning AI into your account strategy engine
May 18: 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
May 19: 10:15 am – 11:30 am
Is your portfolio analysis a rearview mirror or a crystal ball? For strategic account managers, the greatest risk is often spreading your most valuable resource — your time — across a cluster of accounts that may no longer align with current or future strategic goals. This session moves …
Session
309
Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
May 19: 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
May 20: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Artificial intelligence is transforming how professionals generate insights and create business value. For strategic account managers, AI can accelerate research, sharpen account insights, and support stronger strategic decisions for their customers. …