Suit Looking to Upskill? Find Your Voice, Admit Shortcomings, Learn It’s “Not Grubby to Talk About Money”

The career trajectory for a junior account manager can lead all the way to managing partner, then managing director, then CEO. Building rock-solid client relationships and the agency itself requires being a sponge, staying hungry and humble, and admitting what you don’t know.

​Lauren Portelli is regional managing director across Uber at Special, and believes the indie agency is “hard on our business management team.” It needs to be in order to attract -- and keep -- world-class talent that makes world-class work. In each account management job interview, the agency asks the interviewee to present a case study, not to test presentation skills, but to “see how they think, how they connect, and how they lead,” Lauren tells LBB.

“There’s no right answer but there’s definitely a posture of those that ‘get it.’”

‘Getting it’ involves showing empathy, problem-solving skills, understanding how technology is progressing, and being “honest about your own gaps.” It’s powerful for someone to admit their shortcomings and work with those around them to learn, she says, and often leads to great client partners accelerating their experience and leadership skills.

“They play to their strengths and work openly with others to fill the gaps. Being able to say ‘I don’t know’ is a real mark of confidence. It shows self-awareness, humility, and the ability to lean on others to learn. It also tells me if they are in the deep-end, they will ask for help before they make a mistake. Lots of the best client leads I’ve worked with can look back on the hardest moments of their careers and recognise them as the most formative.”

She adds great account managers lift up other departments, “get their teams into formation” and “can choreograph everyone to move in sync. That’s part leadership, part trust, part vision.”

And they are, first and foremost, good humans. “Start there. It’s disarming, transparent, and the best foundation for every relationship, and every person you’ll need to navigate in this job.

“In an age where procurement turns people into line items and tech can outpace half of what we used to do, thinking human-first is the most valuable skill we have.

“Being a good human means calling things out when they’re off, because clear is kind. It’s feeling the frustration in a room and knowing how to turn it into progress. It’s thinking a few steps ahead, helping your team, and your clients, find a win without dropping your pants.”

​Vince Osmond and Jade Manning, Today the Brave’s creative partners, agree suits should always “have a voice. The only way you are able to shepherd the work to the finish line is if you truly believe in it. And you’ll only truly believe in it if you question and understand it.”

And Matty Burton, the chief creative officer of DDB Group Australia and New Zealand, suggests excellent suits remain “humble and hungry”. “The even better ones train those around them and are generous with their time and energy. The even-better-than-that ones know how to have a good time."

“We are, after all human. Knowing how to make it fun for everyone along the way is the kind of ‘suiting’ that hits you in the gut," he says.

​Bear Meets Eagle on Fire managing director Toby Hussey echoes Matty’s sentiment, advising, “Keep hungry. Keep listening and learning. Keep showing up.” While the job isn’t easy, “account people have a pretty unique opportunity to genuinely impact projects from soup to nuts – from shaping briefs through to execution and delivery – and that’s an opportunity for meaningful influence that other roles don’t really get.”

Yesterday, the pack of execs weighed in on whether the industry is witnessing a “hollowing out” of the account management function. The founder of Suit School and Gambol Creative -- and former agency suit -- Camey O’Keefe worried agencies aren’t investing enough in account management talent and training, and stressed just how critical good suits are to building, maintaining, or transforming an agency’s reputation.

She teaches her students to zoom out to strategy, although it’s difficult to escape the "transactional work that’s taking up all of their energy,” because that high-value thinking ultimately allows account managers to spot opportunities and drive growth. Getting a grasp on the numbers is critical too, Camey says.

“It's not grubby to talk about money. It's so fine to be ambitious about bringing more into the business.”

Ultimately, success starts with caring about, protecting, and championing the product, Camey notes. “Clear the path to creativity and protect it with all your heart.”

Special MD Lauren adds, “Be a sponge. Stay curious. Look around you and help everyone grow.

“The best business leads are as strategic and creative about how we work as they are about what we make. No two projects, days, or client relationships are the same. So stay smart, stay open, and be the engine that both lifts and earns from your team.”

That’s the route to top work, client satisfaction, and career progression -- whether in advertising or another sector. As Camey says, “It's worth investing in yourself because it is such a transferable skillset. It'll never be wasted. If you get actually good at suiting, you can take that skillset anywhere and kill it.”

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Read more:Strong Suiting Shapes Agencies’ Fortunes. Have We Stopped Treating It As a Craft?​