The Art of Account Management: The Business of Collaboration with Kelly Green

Kelly Green is the executive vice president of account service and marketing at Quigley, the largest WBENC-certified female-owned full-service advertising agency in the country. With over twenty-five years of experience in advertising, Kelly has been a proven leader in managing large-scale communications plans. In his role at Quigley, Kelly oversees Account Service & Marketing for all clients, including JPMorgan Chase, Paycom, Jenny Craig, and Ball.

LBB> How did you first get involved in account management, and what appealed to you?

Kelly> I first got involved in account management at Tracy-Locke. The agency was going to open a new office in Los Angeles, in addition to its home base in Dallas, and I raised my hand to be a part of the startup team. They placed me in a support role within account service on the Taco Bell account, and I never looked back. I suppose some of me wanted the chance to live in Los Angeles, but another wanted a career, and account management seemed to fit my personality. I liked that it required you to be a skilled generalist who could effectively work with all other departments. I also love seeing the bigger picture – what the client was trying to achieve with its marketing and advertising and how we could marshal our collective resources to help them. I enjoy using both sides of my brain, so in account management, I participate in the creative process and media planning to ensure the right people see our advertising.

LBB> Do you ever use account management in other areas outside of your primary career? 

Kelly> I have been at Quigley for over ten years and have applied what I have learned at the agency and throughout my career for other endeavors. The most significant one is my chocolate company, John Kelly Chocolates. In 2004, my business partner John and I decided to launch the company since we both are passionate about creating delicious and beautiful treats that others can enjoy. We have been successful since our initial launch, and our products are sold in stores across the country, as well as in three of our own stores and online. Understanding how to analyze a marketing need and then create materials to meet that need has certainly come in handy as my company has grown. 

LBB> What is the key principle to building a healthy relationship as an account manager, and how do personality and experience play a role? 

Kelly> Excellent communication skills are crucial to building a healthy relationship as an account manager and business owner. I see many similarities between running a business and working in an agency. Being a business owner strengthened my understanding of my customers’ experience and my experience as a customer who buys services like web development. Similarly, many of the management challenges I face at the agency help me deal with situations in my own company. I honestly feel that I’m a better advertising person, and a better chocolatier, because of my dual experience.

LBB> Account managers are historically known for being the “mediator” in a client and creative relationship. Is there a nugget of truth to this statement, or is it inaccurate?

Kelly> I’d say there’s a nugget of truth to this. As the primary point of contact, account managers tend to develop deeper relationships with clients. A good account manager also cultivates deep relationships among the internal agency team. When it works best, both client and internal teams develop trust with their account managers. So it makes sense that account managers can be best positioned to mediate between the two groups. 

LBB> Reflecting on your career and business, what were your biggest challenges from a tricky-client relationship, and how did you pivot them to lead to a great outcome? 

Kelly> Advertising is a business that requires collaboration while also handling large sums of someone else’s money, so the potential for conflict or disagreements is always there. Same with my business – I have to make payroll every two weeks whether our sales are up or down, so it can be stressful. In both roles, one of my best tools is the ability to remain calm when things go sideways; and things will always go sideways. If it’s a difficult client to manage, practicing patience and providing guidance to the client usually works to break down barriers and foster goodwill. If the internal team is upset about a client, I try to stay calm and remain focused on how we solve the issue. 

LBB> What inspires you the most as an account manager and business owner? 

Kelly> In my advertising/account management life, I’m inspired by the people around me. I love being a part of a team that has created something in a spectacular way. This same inspiration transfers directly to my chocolate business. Seeing my hard work come to fruition is incredibly motivating, even if it takes trial and error. The similarities in the two roles– hard work, managing teams, and marketing–have helped push my professional and creative boundaries.  

LBB> What recent projects are you proudest of in your career and business and why? What challenges did you face, and how did you handle them? 

Kelly> One of our newer accounts at Quigley has had a roller-coaster history in a short span of time. Two CMOs have been let go, a new regime has been installed since we were brought on, budgets have been slashed, and the account director suddenly quit. Despite all this change, the account remains healthy, with excellent creative and media work and a client who values the agency relationship. I didn’t do that alone, but my experience guiding accounts through difficult times helped. The key was plugging away and prioritizing the work without getting distracted by politics or upheaval. This is definitely an accomplishment I am proud of. 

In my own company, my business partner and I decided to open a third retail location during the pandemic. We had always wanted a store in Beverly Hills, and with rents coming down during that period, we could finally afford it. Of course, the pandemic also meant construction supply chain delays, labor shortages, and long waits for permits and inspectors, so the store opening took much longer than expected. We had to stay steady and deal with each issue as it came, or the entire project would be lost. We finally got to the finish line, and the store is now our flagship location.

LBB> What advice would you give someone just starting their career in account management?

Kelly> The most important piece of advice to a young professional starting a career in account management is to be curious about everything the agency does. Continue to ask questions about the agency's services and life because the more you know about how all the different parts of an agency work together, the more effective and valuable you will be.