Monday, May 20 — 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Level: All audiences

You’re invited to kick off the 2024 SAMA Annual Conference with a facilitated panel discussion focused on what has become a priority for every organization in the SAMA community: developing the talent to attain and sustain SAM excellence.

Global employers are being impacted by talent shortages, and most expect the problem to only get worse in 2024. Add the challenges of disruption in execution among the cross-functional teams responsible for engaging, managing, and growing your relationships with strategic and key customers, and the question becomes: “How can a commitment to SAM excellence help us develop and expand the talent of our account teams?”

This 60-minute, pre-conference bonus session will feature SAMA members Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) and LP Building Solutions (LP) — winners of the 2023 SAMA Excellence Awards for “Outstanding Mature Program of the Year” and “Outstanding Young Program of the Year,” respectively. Participants will gain insights into the high-impact talent development areas these organizations are prioritizing, with specific discussion and focus on equipping their teams in the following areas of best practice:

• Relationship Oriented: Building and sustaining trust-based customer partnerships
• Lead with Influence: Aligning and leading the cross-functional account team
• Customer Focus: Value co-discovery, differentiation, co-creation, and realization
• Strategic Thinking: Visioning and planning future success with strategic customers
• Effective Execution: Developing and executing plans to grow accounts and win opportunities
• Communication and Collaboration: Conducting and facilitating executive account and opportunity briefings

PMI will facilitate the conversation with BI and LP expert panelists, who will share relevant insights and specific examples of how they are developing their talent to attain and sustain SAM excellence. The session will close with identification of lessons learned and key takeaways that you can apply to your own personal journey of SAM excellence!

Presenters:
Steve Andersen, President and Founder, Performance Methods Inc. (PMI)
Craig Jones, Managing Director, Performance Methods Inc. (PMI)
Todd Lenhart, Managing Partner, Performance Methods Inc, (PMI)
Featuring SAMA 2023 Excellence Award Winners: Boehringer Ingelheim and LP Building Solutions

Tuesday, May 21 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Wednesday, May 22 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Unlock the secrets of strategic account success through collective excellence: customer-led and team-enabled account-based marketing. In the ever-evolving world of SAM, one truth reigns supreme: The path to success is a collective journey, not a solo mission. Strategic account management is a team sport and takes a village. It is about time to integrate marketing into this journey.

Join Pierre Schaeffer, CMO of Thales, for an inspiring discussion that promises to provide pragmatic and insightful learning and will challenge conventional thinking.

Session highlights:

• Unleash your inner superhero team: Dive into the art of teamwork and collaboration. Explore how Thales integrated marketing strategies to drive growth and co-orchestrate account success.
• Boost transformative momentum: Learn about building the journey as Schaeffer and colleagues share their story of creating a robust account team with marketing integration while leveraging the marketing value. Learn how they ignited and sustained transformative change.
• Unlock your how-to strategies: Walk away with actionable insights to implement in your SAM journey, and more specifically, on how to help your marketing organization adopt the outside-in mindset to accelerate your account growth. Gain practical steps and strategies for success.
• Use your voice in the engaging discussion: Engage in an interactive discussion. Bring your questions, challenges, and experiences to contribute to the collective wisdom of the session.

Presenters:
Dominique Côté, CEO and Founder, Cosawi and Principal, The Summit Group
Pierre Schaeffer, Chief Marketing Officer, Thales Group

Wednesday, May 22 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Thursday, May 23 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Setting and attaining fair pricing can be one of the more painful parts of strategic account management. It’s rarely one-and-done. After all, your customers, competitors, costs, and market dynamics all change — so your pricing should, too. But how?

Although value-based pricing is the goal for most, the ongoing alignment of price and value can get complicated and time-consuming. Without it, pricing mistakes can have a substantial negative impact on profits and overall account health. When it’s done right, the buyer and seller share value in a way that benefits both parties and feeds the next round of innovative solutions and the growth of the partnership.

In this session, we’ll share a pricing strategy framework to guide everything from your newest product innovations to your cash cow legacy solutions — so you can price with confidence over the short-, medium-, and long-term growth of your accounts.

You will learn:

• What the product life cycles are and how to determine where you sit.
• How to balance profitability and market share at each stage of the lifecycle.
• What steps you can take immediately to apply these concepts to your strategic accounts.
• How to continually assess competition and how to use this analysis to monitor value and adjust price via “health checks.”

Presenter:
Peter Morelli, Vice President and Head of Sales Strategy, Holden Advisors

Tuesday, May 21 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Bill Collins, President, HAECO America, Airframe Services, walks you through the company’s journey that began with their largest revenue — a commercial airline customer — threatening to leave because of HAECO’s internal focus on profit margins rather than on the customer's needs.

Bill will share a roadmap for our KAM journey in which you will:

• Learn how we replaced an internal focus on profit margin with a customer-centric focus with experienced KAMs.
• Discover how we quickly jumped from haphazard, verbally delivered account plans to thoughtfully written account plans.
• Learn from the pain we experienced (so that you don’t have to) as we implemented our new mantra: “If the account plan is not in writing, then it does not exist!”
• Follow us on our journey from internally reviewed account plans to insightful, business-focused plans that are shared with our key accounts twice a year. This approach allows our customers to share their true business focus and challenges in case we got it wrong in our written account plan.
• Understand how we completed a global introduction of our new KAM program in under 18 months and hear about our success stories with our commercial airline customers, won using our customer-centric approach.

Presenters:
Bill Collins, President, HAECO Americas, Airframe Services
Paul Sheehan, Managing Partner, Taylor Group International

Tuesday, May 21 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Join us in this session, as we explore the many critical elements needed to drive global account strategies. From global governance process, to leading and influencing without authority, it’s essential that all global cross-functional team members be aligned and collaborate closely. Let’s explore some of the nuances and obstacles our teams encounter and how best to divert and overcome them.

Presenter:
Muriel Carroll, Managing Director of Strategic Accounts, Hilton
Shawn Parker, Executive Director, Strategic Accounts, Hilton
Chelsea Wagenblast, Global Business Travel Sales, Corporate Strategic Accounts, Hilton

Tuesday, May 21 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Embark on a transformative journey with Chris Wells, the Director of Strategic Accounts at bioMérieux, and Ulrik Monberg, CEO & Founder of ARPEDIO, as they share invaluable insights into transitioning from a Manual to a Technology-Enabled SAM Program. This session places a spotlight on change management, the crucial role of coaching in organizational change, and the central focus on adopting a robust SAM tech stack.

Chris will elaborate on the intricate process of creating a SAM program, seamlessly progressing from its creation through different maturity levels over time. The programme has developed to empower colleagues across the organization with a shared strategic mindset on how the programme should function, whilst simultaneously raising competencies of the different stakeholders. With a comprehensive knowledge of the processes involved, the challenges associated with change were understood and managed.

Ulrik will contribute by sharing his knowledge around using technology for account-based growth, driving tangible and meaningful change within B2B sales environments. He will discuss how true effectiveness emerges from technological integration into existing frameworks and how change lies in fostering an atmosphere that inspires progress and meaningful change.

Key takeaways for the attendees will include:

• Developing an understanding of your organizational maturity
• Learning how to drive widespread adoption and best practices implementation
• Gain a deeper understanding of pain points and challenges and receiving actionable guidance

Presenters:
Chris Wells, Director of Strategic Accounts, bioMérieux
Ulrik Monberg, CEO & Founder, ARPEDIO

Tuesday, May 21 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Today’s business environment has seen an increase in the development of market-disruptive new technologies and solutions. Often, these solutions are sold into and through complex value chains of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and end-user customers. This sales environment makes it critical to accelerate market adoption to drive profitable sales and market share growth to monetize your organizations investment in the new technology or solution. It is essential that, as the provider of this new technology or new solution, you be able to identify the financial/economic impact of the technology or solution on each link in the value chain. If you do not understand this financial impact on each organization, it is possible that any one of the key links in the chain will perceive your solution as having a negative financial impact on them and will block your sales.

These links could be specific departments within your strategic account (operations, HR, commercial, distribution, etc.). Or they could be downstream partners (distributors, dealers, etc.). The key to success is to understand the financial/economic issues and care-abouts of these constituents so that you can build and communicate a strong quantified value proposition to each.

This session, delivered by The Summit Group and, potentially, by John Deere, will provide a graphic example of how this situation is being addressed and the results achieved. It will provide a simple framework for SAMs to follow to perform this identification and quantification for each link in their specific value chain.

Presenters:
Chris Pratt, VP of Content and Delivery, the Summit Group
Chris Ferguson, VP of Business Development, the Summit Group

Tuesday, May 21 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Tuesday, May 21 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

According to Deloitte, 94 percent of executives believe a strong company culture is key to business success. This indicator points to a critical question: How do you and your employees define your company culture?

This session explores the significance of company culture in today’s business landscape and provides practical insights and strategies for building a culture that aligns with an organization’s values, goals, and vision. Great cultures leverage their organization’s unique purpose to strengthen their identity, inspire their employees, and deliver on their brand promise to customers. It’s what can set you apart from your competition. Attendees will gain a deep understanding of the key elements that shape culture, learn best practices from a successful organization, and discover effective ways to promote employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity. Through expert presentations, interactive discussions, and real-world examples, this session will empower leaders to become catalysts for positive cultural change in their organizations, ultimately driving long-term success and sustainability.

By the end of the workshop, participants should be well-versed in the theories, strategies, and practical applications related to building a strong and sustainable company culture, enabling them to implement positive changes in their own organizations. Participants will also:

• Extract actionable insights from real-world examples to apply in participants’ own organizations.
• Develop techniques to promote a positive work environment, fostering employee engagement and satisfaction.
• Become a catalyst for cultural change through new leadership skills to initiate and sustain cultural changes in their organizations.
• Develop plans and strategies to drive continuous cultural improvement for long-term organizational growth.

Presenters:
Heidi Tripp, End Customer Program Manager, Axis Communications
Kerri Sutherland, Manager, HR Business Partnerships, Axis Communications

Tuesday, May 21 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

During this session, focus will be on factors organizations should consider when structuring, implementing, or evaluating global account management partnerships, in terms of compatibility, competency, corporate governance, and commercial outcomes.

The session will look at key enablers and barriers in global account management (GAM) today. Focus will be on four crucial doctoral research findings that organizations should consider structuring, implementing, or evaluating in GAM partnerships.

The Four Cs model

1. Compatibility
2. Competency
3. Corporate governance
4. Commercial outcomes

These findings will be presented to spur audience discussion during the session. The speakers will further delve into the characteristics of the “compatibility” component of GAM, which requires partnership, culture, relationship, and trust. Without necessary consideration of these characteristics, the likelihood of the global account’s underperforming or failing is high.

Key Takeaways:

• GAM system development: Identify the findings from the conceptual model and sub-themes noted above and consider applying them when developing systems and processes that support global account management in practice.
• Develop compatibility: Outline the Four Cs model with emphasis on the elements of the compatibility theme.
• Considerations for a buying organization: Understand the commercial implications of the findings presented and be able to evaluate current and future organizational models as a result.

Presenter:
Mark Forret, Chief Commercial Officer - Global Office Group, ISS World Services

N/A

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

For companies with a successful CRM program, a logical next question is: How do I take the learnings and best practices from this program and apply them to the next segment of my customers? How do I get the rest of the organization to apply these customer-centric skills to not only drive additional revenue and develop future CRM pipeline accounts but also, just as importantly, change my company’s culture?

This session will share the enormous success and impact of doing just that. We will share metrics, best practices, and real-life examples of how to make this a reality for your organization. Specifically, we will cover:

• How to identify the next level of customers to deepen and strengthen your relationships.
• The key pillars to success.
• How to ensure all stakeholders are continually engaged and ambassadors for the program.
• How to incentivize staff to change behavior via performance management and gamification.
• The key KPIs to look at for measurement.

Presenters:
Jana Maddox, Global Relationship Leader, Zurich
Valerie Butt, Head of Customer Strategy, Zurich

Tuesday, May 21 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Several years ago, Gore acknowledged that a one-sized-fits-all approach to customer classification was not sustainable, sparking a transformative journey. Beginning with a vision to drive partnerships with customers of significant importance, we embarked on a unique approach that transcended traditional boundaries between business and customer relationships — resulting in an account classification system that helped develop our strategic account management program. With resource alignment and continuous support, training, best practice sharing, and program development, our top-tier customers transformed into strategic partnerships.

The results are undeniable, as we’ve witnessed double-digit revenue growth and enhanced customer satisfaction metrics, underscoring the tremendous impact of strategic partnerships. The SAM program has become a beacon, illuminating the path of more success for Gore and more success for our strategic customers. We look forward to seeing you here at the 2024 SAMA Annual Conference and sharing more about the strategic account management program at Gore.

Presenter:
TBA

Tuesday, May 21 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Customer expectations, advanced technologies, and the competition are all evolving at an accelerated pace. What does it take to build and manage a high performing global customer team in an increasingly chaotic environment? It starts with a strong foundation: making sure you have the right roles, talent strategy, performance management, and compensation approach. Hear how leading companies are harnessing the power of convergence — people, process, and tech — to create global customer teams that are ready for 2024 and beyond.

Presenters:
Doug Beveridge, Principal Partner, The Alexander Group
Craig Ackerman, Principal, The Alexander Group

Wednesday, May 22 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Thursday, May 23 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Join leaders from Exact Sciences and Alnylam to learn about the success and learnings from their KAM programs. Alnylam’s team of health system directors (HSD's) have more than 75 years of combined expertise in creating and managing relationships with organized customers. They serve as the point of contact for a team-based, cross-functional approach to organized customer engagements with the goal of co-developing solutions that benefit patients, providers, and Alnylam.

Alnylam’s HSD team was recently recognized by the Health Industry Research Center (HIRC) as “Best in Performance” when compared to similar account managers across life science organizations. Similarly, Exact Sciences is a company specializing in the development and commercialization of diagnostic tests, particularly in the field of cancer detection and screening. The company is known for its focus on noninvasive and early detection solutions and has seen recent success in its KAM program, while taking an enterprise approach to partnership with organized customers.

Presenters:
Namita Powers, Principal, ZS
Todd Burgess, Manager, ZS
Sheri Trutwin, Head of Strategic Accounts, Alnylam
Beth Eastland, General Manager, Exact Sciences

Tuesday, May 21 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

In a business world characterized by fierce global competition and account demands, an organization needs strong and well-founded signals (metrics) that indicate when key objectives are being met or when trouble is on the horizon. Unfortunately, most strategic account management programs are evaluated in terms of the sales numbers they post. Although sales numbers, usually defined as revenue and profitability, are critical measurements, there are additional key metrics to consider that give valuable insights into the probability of achieving, or not achieving, the right organizational construct and the transformation to a highly productive customer-centric organization.

• Key learnings of this session include:
• Performance metrics that provide value to your organization and on the dashboard.
• AI and relationship management: the connection to guide the way.
• Developing, communicating, and using relationship metrics.
• Launching metrics — what, how, by whom, and when?
• Challenges associated with any metric-based program.

Presenters:
Dennis Chapman, Founder and CEO, the Chapman Group
Dr. Phil Styrlund, CEO, The Summit Group

Tuesday, May 21 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Wednesday, May 22 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Strategic accounts expect strategic suppliers to know, anticipate, and even predict needs, market changes/shifts, and possible competitive advantages. To effectively meet these account expectations, strategic suppliers need to have an even greater in-depth knowledge, including new insights about their account. Senior leaders of accounts expect a strategic supplier to isolate opportunities for innovation and economic value creation and to provide a high probability of success based on facts and insights, not just intuition. This workshop will provide a case-study example, directly from the strategic supplier themselves, about how utilizing customer facts and insights can create more effective and valuable account engagements.

Key learning points include:

• Scorecard: what it is and as a guidepost for mutual success.
• How to triangulate the right insights from the right team members.
• The challenges that customers and strategic suppliers — as “ONE” — face today.
• How our need for a scorecard was born (How did we get here?): rationale/generating internal excitement!
• Interpretation of insights from a KAM’s experience/viewpoint that lead to mutually beneficial engagements and outcomes.
• Key summary points: The scorecard process, methods, and best practices.

Presenters:
Dennis Chapman, Founder and CEO, the Chapman Group
Nick Coletti, Sr. Global Development Manager, Corporate and Strategic Accounts, IDEXX
Carla Cherrier, Global Development Manager, Corporate and Strategic Accounts, IDEXX

Tuesday, May 21 — 2:00PM - 3:45 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

In today’s competitive landscape, recruiting the right strategic account managers is crucial for sustained business growth. This conference session delves into the key learnings and takeaways for mastering these processes, finding and developing right people/competencies, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals and customer needs.

Key Learnings:

Strategic Account Manager (SAM) Recruitment & Development Best Practices:

• Identifying essential skills and competencies: Understanding the blend of sales acumen, relationship-building abilities, and strategic thinking required for effective SAMs.
• Behavioral interviews and scenario-based assessments:
• Implementing thorough screening processes to evaluate candidates’ problem-solving skills, adaptability, and alignment with organizational values.
• Cultural fit and alignment: Prioritizing candidates who resonate with the company culture and demonstrate a passion for customer success.

Key Takeaways:

• Invest in talent: Prioritize recruitment efforts to attract and retain toptier strategic account managers who can drive long-term customer success and revenue growth.
• Understand the key competencies and behaviors necessary for highperforming SAMs.
• Continuous evaluation and adaptation: Regularly assess the effectiveness of recruitment and capability development processes, iterating based on feedback, and market dynamics to stay agile and responsive.

By embracing these best practices, organizations can optimize their strategic account management approach, fostering deeper customer relationships and driving sustainable business growth in an ever-evolving marketplace.

Presenters:
Geoff Williams, Interim President and CEO, SAMA
Dino Bertani, Vice President, Head of Alliance Management, Zealand Pharma

Tuesday, May 21 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Tuesday, May 21 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Executive sponsorship has been shown to be an integral component of successful strategic customer relationships, and more specifically where the senior executive’s role is clear, structured and measured. Often companies do not formalize it and/or do not choose the “right” executives for the role, resulting in frustration for the strategic account manager and for the customer.

Learn how to make effective use of executives to facilitate long-term, value-added relationships with your most strategic customers. All attendees will receive tools/templates to immediately put to use.

Key learnings will center on:

• Business case and strategy for creating and implementing a formal executive sponsorship program.
• Selection criteria and considerations for executive sponsors.
• Roles and responsibilities for both the executive sponsor and the strategic account manager.
• Executive sponsor metrics and accountability.

Presenters:
Ron Davis, EVP, Global Head of Customer Management, Zurich
Hajo Rapp, SVP SAM & Sales Excellence, TÜV SÜD AG

Tuesday, May 21 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Pfizer is on a journey to harmonize its KAM program. The objective is to improve the KAM function’s ability to plan and execute with key accounts. This panel will discuss the Pfizer journey, from getting initial buy-in through implementation and lessons learned. Discussion points will include:

• CRM for KAM process.
• Data capture for robust insights and reporting.
• Higher KAM satisfaction.
• Cross business unit (BU) visibility.
• Establishing a nimbler KAM infrastructure that continuously adapts to best-in-class.

Presenters:
Jerry Alderman, CEO, Valkre Solutions, Inc.
Jason Kraft, Director, Customer Effectiveness - Key Account Management, Pfizer Inc
Mike Powers, Principal, ZS

Tuesday, May 21 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Your SAM program should be focused on profitably, growing your business, and building relationships with your largest strategic customers. Therefore, you should never take it for granted. In this session, four seasoned SAM program leaders will discuss how they keep their SAM program thriving — internally and externally — including the best practices and insights they have discovered on their respective journeys.

Presenters:
Harvey Dunham, Managing Director, Strategy & Marketing, SAMA
Sara Theis, Key Account Manager, Owens Corning
Denise Juliano, Group Vice President, PINC AI Applied Sciences
Stephanie Sirt, VP, Global Strategic Accounts, Schneider Electric

Session times coming soon.

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

This 75-minute session will outline and suggest elements necessary to launch and sustain an effective SAM program. Four critical building blocks will be included:

1. Why do you need a SAM program?
2. What critical success factors should you consider in your program blueprint?
3. How do you build a program to address these critical success factors?
4. How can you create value so that your customers feel the impact?

This highly interactive session will include live discussion with a thought leader in the SAMA space: Patrick Engkjer, head of Strategic Accounts at Sanofi Vaccines. You will leave with specific action to take if you are starting a SAM program or if you have already started a program and are looking for ways to benchmark your progress.

Presenters:
Todd Lenhart, Managing Partner, Performance Methods, Inc.
Patrick Engkjer, Head of Strategic Accounts – US, Sanofi Vaccines
Brad Galvan, National Accounts Lead - US, Sanofi Vaccines
Bob Grzenda, National Accounts Lead - US, Sanofi Vaccines

Tuesday, May 21 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Wednesday, May 22 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Level: All audiences

Recommended audience: NAM/SAM/GAM, account team members/sales and functional support, managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor, talent management/HR/Learning & Development

In today's competitive landscape, effective engagement with strategic accounts is paramount for sustained business growth. This session delves into the intricate realm of strategic marketing tailored specifically for key accounts. Participants will explore innovative strategies and best practices aimed at nurturing and expanding relationships with key accounts. From crafting personalized marketing initiatives to leveraging data-driven insights, attendees will gain actionable insights to elevate their approach to strategic account management. Join us to unlock the potential of strategic marketing and drive impactful outcomes in your organization's growth journey.

Presenter:
Kaycee Kalpin, Chief Marketing Officer, Premier, Inc.

Tuesday, May 21 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

Level: All audiences
Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

This 75-minute session will outline a proven process to drive explosive growth at key accounts.

Four critical building blocks will be included:

1. Assess the current state of data, voice-of-customer research, market and world events, team skills, and key account teamwork (drama-free execution).
2. Plan your strategy to grow revenue and profits to help your customer achieve their goals.
3. Measure what matters — KPIs and the importance of lagging indicators.
4. Execute a collaborative approach to drama-free execution.
5. Adjust by taking an agile approach toward new market and customer insights.

This highly interactive session will include live discussion with Mark Roberts, a thought leader in sales effectiveness and strategic growth. You will leave with specific actions to take if you want to drive explosive growth in revenue and profits in 2024.

Presenter:
Mark Allen Roberts, CEO and Founder, OTB Solutions

Thursday, May 23 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

Level: All audiences
Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor

Discover the transformative power of Generative AI (GenAI) in revolutionizing sales growth. With the potential to unlock a staggering $1.6 trillion in value across sales, marketing, and customer operations, GenAI promises to redefine every facet of the B2B deal cycle. Join us as we delve into its game-changing impact from digital demand generation to driving unparalleled customer success. Experience firsthand how GenAI is reshaping the future of sales enablement and accelerating business growth.

During our session, we will explore this new frontier and cover exciting use cases for GenAI in sales, as well as share learnings and best practices from early GenAI adopters.

Presenter:
Maria Valdivieso, Partner, McKinsey & Company

Tuesday, May 21 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Level: All audiences
Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor, Talent Management/HR/Learning & Development

In a world of information overload, increasing demands, and uncertainty, are you prioritizing the “right things” to meet personal and client objectives?

Sometimes we are not present — or “in the moment” — and therefore we might be missing opportunities that are right in front of us.

Key questions for anyone to thrive in this practical session are:

• What are you focusing on right now and why?
• How can you be present while organizing yourself to get it all done?

If you want to challenge yourself, learn proven tools and strategies that are easy to implement, and help your clients while being authentic and true to yourself, this session is for you.

Doesn’t sound like a typical session for a SAMA conference? Maybe not. Challenge yourself to think in a new way.

Presenter:
Frank Helfenstein, Global Account Leader, MBA, CSAM, Arcadis

Tuesday, May 21 — 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Wednesday, May 22 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Level: All audiences
Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor, Talent Management/HR/Learning & Development

Rapid, nonlinear change dictates that robust and agile learning and development (L&D) initiatives in SAM programs are essential for long-term success. This presentation delves into best practices in the current L&D landscape and introduces forward-thinking approaches to propel SAM programs and their leaders into a future-ready era.

Topics covered include:

• Building a Robust SAM Program: Uncover the essential steps to craft a successful SAM strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and responsiveness to the dynamic needs of key clients.
• Prioritizing Learning & Development: Highlight the critical importance of ongoing L&D, and gain insights into tools and techniques designed to nurture and elevate SAM talent.
• Deciphering SAM Competence Needs: Take a deep dive into the competencies that are pivotal for success, both now and in the future.
• The AI Revolution in L&D: Explore how AI is revolutionizing the learning landscape, providing personalized, efficient, and scalable strategies to enhance the skills of SAM professionals.
• Future-proofing Your SAM Strategy: Master the art of adaptability to ensure your SAM program remains resilient and relevant in the face of ever-evolving market challenges and opportunities.

To excel in today's business landscape, SAM leaders must strike a balance between remaining anchored in tried-and-true strategies and being receptive to innovative breakthroughs. This presentation is designed to arm attendees with the insights and confidence they need to navigate the dynamic intersection of agility and AI, priming them to spearhead the next wave of SAM excellence.

Presenters:
Robert Box, Head of International Business, Mercuri International
Sanchita Sur, CEO, Emplay

Tuesday, May 21 — 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Wednesday, May 22 — 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM

Level: All audiences
Recommended audience: Managers of NAM/SAM/GAM, SAM program heads, director or other senior management SAM org. role, C-level/senior executive strategist, decision-maker, geographic head, executive sponsor, Talent Management/HR/Learning & Development

In 2020, Nilfisk, Inc., one of the world’s largest providers of sustainable cleaning equipment, launched a disruptor SAM strategy founded on SAMA principles. It is a journey still in the making, but the program has evolved to become one of the most progressive in the industry, producing year-over-year growth and forging deep, sustainable customer relationships. An early focus of the strategy was on “SAM Talent, Selection, Development & Coaching,” which SAMA cites as a key organizational success factor. During this 75-minute session, attendees will learn about Nilfisk's SAM journey which started with the “people” aspect of the program and will include:

• Building the SAM profile and job description.
• Completing SAMA’s Individual Competency Assessment.
• Coaching to SAM competencies and the SAM sales process.
• Integrating competency development and trainings.
• Lessons learned and recommendations.

Presenter:
Rachel Brutosky, Vice President, Strategic Accounts, Nilfisk
Joe Schoener, Head of Training & Development, US, Nilfisk