Executive sponsorship and KAM
13th January 2025 | Dr Javier Marcos, Daniel D Prior and Liang Sun

How critical is the role of executive sponsorship for Key Account Management success?
Executive sponsorship is fundamental to the success of Key Account Management (KAM) programmes. As organizations increasingly focus on their most valuable customers, securing and harnessing top management involvement has become essential for strategic success and long-term profitability. Understanding how to effectively engage executive sponsors and maximize their contribution can significantly enhance KAM effectiveness.
Understanding the drivers of top management involvement
Research1 indicates three primary categories of drivers that motivate executive involvement in KAM initiatives:
1. Strategic drivers
At the strategic level, executives are motivated by the opportunity to build long-term partnerships and develop trust with key customers. They seek to promote a relational approach that supports strategic customer development and establish rational decision-making frameworks based on customer needs and knowledge. Through direct engagement with key accounts, executives gain valuable market intelligence and customer insights that help identify trends and anticipate market shifts.
2. Operational drivers
From an operational perspective, executives get involved to develop competence and high performance in key account managers through coaching and mentoring. They help resolve operational barriers that often emerge in customer relationships, such as legal or financial due diligence delays. Their involvement demonstrates commitment to establishing seamless administrative operations and service levels.
3. Individual drivers
Personal motives also play a significant role. Many executives have backgrounds in sales and customer management, driving their interest in KAM. They seek to foster social relationships with counterparts in strategic customers to expand their networks and complement formal governance systems with informal interactions.
The multiple roles of executive sponsors

Executives use a set of underlying managerial resources, namely, managerial cognition, managerial social capital, and managerial human capital to draw on their administrative authority and to make decisions2 such as whether to continue to cooperate with a key customer, or whether to adjust investments and direct these to other accounts. The link between managerial capability and firm strategy is well documented, but not in the context of KAM, where there is increased interest but still relatively scarce evidence on the role top management plays in KAM.3
There is agreement that executive sponsors play an important role in developing KAM and that they need to be appropriately matched with the right account to deepen the relationships and drive revenue growth.
Typically, executive sponsors can adopt various roles to support KAM initiatives. Each role entails specific responsibilities and can have both advantages and disadvantages. Let us explore the roles that executive sponsors typically assume in KAM contexts:
- Strategic visionary sets overall direction and aligns KAM with corporate strategy, though may become detached from day-to-day operations.
- Resource allocator ensures adequate resources for KAM initiatives but must carefully balance against other organizational priorities.
- Organizational aligner fosters cross-functional collaboration, though this can be time-consuming in complex organizations.
- Relationship builder engages with key accounts at senior levels, demonstrating commitment while being careful not to undermine key account managers.
- Decision maker enables quick, high-level decisions but could create bottlenecks if too many decisions require executive approval.
- Performance monitor oversees KAM performance metrics and accountability while maintaining balance to avoid creating unnecessary pressure.
- Cultural champion promotes customer-centricity throughout the organization, though cultural change can be slow and challenging.
- Knowledge facilitator promotes learning and sharing of best practices related to KAM, though must manage information effectively to avoid overload.
- Crisis manager intervenes in critical situations, though overuse could undermine key account managers’ authority.
Harnessing executive sponsorship effectively
Some organizations have formalized senior executive sponsorship programmes, but other businesses do not. Whether your organization has an established programme or not, as a key account manager, you can effectively engage the support of senior executives to help enhance your growth agenda with your key accounts. Here are strategies and actions you can take to gain and maximize the sponsorship of top executives:
4. Identify the right sponsor
Look for executives who demonstrate strategic vision, genuine interest in customer relationships, decision-making authority, and organizational influence. Prepare a strong business case highlighting the strategic importance of the account and specific ways executive sponsorship can drive growth.
5. Establish clear expectations
Frame KAM initiatives within broader corporate goals and clearly articulate how they support strategic objectives. Set clear expectations for involvement, including time commitment (typically 10-12 hours annually) and specific roles.
6. Strategic engagement
Carefully plan executive involvement in customer interactions, particularly for high-impact opportunities like annual business reviews or major initiatives. Provide thorough briefings with clear objectives and talking points.
7. Regular communication
Maintain focused but regular updates through a concise reporting cadence (monthly or quarterly), highlighting key performance indicators, strategic opportunities, and required decisions. Avoid overwhelming sponsors with excessive detail.
8 Crisis management protocol
Develop clear protocols for involving sponsors in critical situations, including when and how to escalate issues, and prepare clear summaries with recommended actions.
The way forward
Research shows that executive sponsorship approaches often evolve in response to market conditions. During periods of high uncertainty, executives typically increase their time commitment to KAM rather than reduce it. However, they may also centralize decision-making authority rather than delegate it, even though key account managers often have direct access to critical market information.
There is agreement that executive sponsors play an important role in developing KAM and that they need to be appropriately matched with the right account to deepen the relationships and drive revenue growth.
The success of executive sponsorship depends on creating mutual benefits that add value to both the KAM programme and the sponsor’s objectives. Key account managers should understand their sponsor’s broader business goals and challenges, offering relevant customer insights and support for their other initiatives when appropriate.
As business environments become increasingly complex and competitive, effective executive sponsorship will remain crucial for KAM success. Organizations must thoughtfully structure these relationships to maximize their value while avoiding potential pitfalls.
For key account managers, the ability to secure and harness executive sponsorship becomes a critical capability. By understanding the various roles sponsors can play, carefully managing their involvement, and creating mutual value, key account managers can significantly enhance their effectiveness and drive stronger results for their organizations.
The key lies in finding the right balance: engaging sponsors enough to demonstrate commitment and drive results, while maintaining the key account manager’s authority and ensuring efficient use of executive time. When this balance is achieved, executive sponsorship becomes a powerful force in building and maintaining successful key account relationships.
References
1 Liang Sun, “Top Management Involvement in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Key Account Management: A contingency model,”unpublished doctoral research.
2 Adner, Ron, and Constance E Helfat, “Corporate effects and dynamic managerial capabilities,” Strategic Management Journal 24.10 (2003): 1011-1025.
3 Kumar, P, Sharma, A, & Salo, J (2019) “A bibliometric analysis of extended key account management literature,” Industrial Marketing Management, 82, 276–292.