The SAMA Podcast

Joining us on today's episode is Ron Davis, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Customer Management at Zurich Commercial Insurance. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Ron has implemented customer management best practices across Zurich's commercial insurance business, making significant contributions to the field.

Ron began his journey at Zurich in 2000 and has held various executive positions since then. He holds an MBA from Concordia University and a business degree from Carleton University, and his extensive experience spans across Europe, Canada, and the United States. Ron has also been involved with SAMA for many years, starting as a member of the SAMA’s Knowledge Committee, and then joining the Board of Directors in 2013. In 2015, Ron became a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

Join us as we explore Ron's valuable insights on the art of strategic account management and outside-in selling, touching on his involvement with the SAMA and his perspective on what makes a world-class strategic account manager.

Joining today’s episode is Rita McGrath, a bestselling author and distinguished faculty member at Columbia Business School, where she’s the Academic Director in Executive Education. Rita's groundbreaking book, The End of Competitive Advantage, challenged traditional thinking and offered a new playbook for navigating the ever-shifting business landscape. As a globally recognized expert in strategic management, Rita's work has been instrumental in helping organizations navigate the complex challenges of today's dynamic business environment. We are honored to welcome her, as Rita’s insights have been shaping the landscape of business strategy and innovation for decades.

As we dive deep into this world of innovation and the evolving nature of competition, Rita shares her perspectives on how businesses can adapt and thrive in an era of constant change. Whether you're a seasoned executive, an aspiring entrepreneur, or someone passionate about staying ahead in the ever-changing business landscape, you won't want to miss this conversation.

Geoff Williams, longtime SAMA Board Member and Corporate Member, boasts a distinguished career in international sales and global strategic account management. Having shaped successful programs at Schneider Electric and Danfoss, Geoff’s new role as SAMA's interim CEO brings a clear and precise vision for the future of strategic account management.

In this episode, Williams’ wealth of experience and wisdom shines bright as he unravels the intricacies of SAM's role as a true business initiative, providing valuable insights for both seasoned professionals and those new to the field. Tune in as Williams and host Harvey Dunham outline this initiative and discuss how successful SAMs can navigate the path to sustainable customer relationships.

Adrian Davis — President & CEO of management consulting firm Whetstone Inc. — contains multitudes. He’s an inspirational, thought-provoking speaker, an author, and a trusted advisor to CEOs and sales leaders alike. As a longtime friend of SAMA and frequent presenter at our conferences, Davis’s true gift is his passion for storytelling. If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing him speak, you’re in for a real treat.

On today’s blockbuster episode, host Denise Freier, President and CEO of SAMA, welcomes Davis to talk about his new book, “Heroes, Villains, and the Thrill of Professional Selling,” where he applies the hero’s journey to real-life examples, captivating stories, and templates to guide sales professionals like you. He also explains how it can be helpful to view different clients and sales environments through the lens of movie genres. So, grab a bowl of popcorn, settle in, and push play!

In today's interconnected global economy, organizations need to move beyond the geographic-area model that is proving inadequate for customers that operate globally. To address this challenge, organizations must design an organizational structure that interfaces more effectively with their global accounts, including providing support to global account managers (GAMs).

In our latest episode, host Harvey Dunham discusses Global Account Management with Noel Capon, the R.C. Kopf Professor of International Marketing at Columbia Business School. As one of the world's leading marketing educators and a global leader in strategic and global account management, Capon also talks about his new executive education program at Columbia Business School, "Growing and Managing Global Customers." The program is designed to help mid- to senior-level professionals in key, strategic, global, or corporate account management, international sales, or business development optimize their global accounts.

Strategic accounts represent a market of one — in and of themselves — with a wealth of opportunity far beyond what most account teams realize. But how can strategic sellers unlock this door, and step into a world of co-discovery with their most essential customers? Dave Irwin, Founder & CEO of Polaris I/O joins SAMA President & CEO Denise Freier. Together, they discuss how to unlock the hidden pipeline and become relevant in the market.

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Every SAM dreams of having customized insights that identify, eliminate, and replace flaws in the delivery process with in-depth solutions. Finding the bandwidth to make that a reality — that’s a different story. However, that’s exactly what Prajwal Gadtaula, founder of Business Brainz, promises to deliver — a bespoke market research firm that does all the deep-dive analysis that your sales and marketing team wished they had time for. Join host Harvey Dunham as he speaks with “Praj” about his journey, his vision, and the future of account-based marketing.

Any organization aiming to create a world-class SAM organization wants to see great results on growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction. SAMA has shown to deliver on these. Today’s extra special episode welcomes Max Walker, Director of Strategic Account Management – EMEA at Medtronic, as he illuminates why he’s such an evangelist for SAMA's Certified Strategic Account Manager (CSAM) program and why the training represents the highest mark of professional development achievement for strategic and key account managers.

Max’s infectious passion and firsthand endorsements are a testament to the return on investment in our CSAM program, where graduates emerge with the skill set, mindset, and behaviors to build lasting, mutual growth with strategic customers and create transformational relationships that go beyond the product. Join this conversation and learn more about the CSAM certification program and how you can reap the exponential value it can provide.

There are a lot of nuances in industries. Yet engaging with your most strategic customers is the same across the board despite these nuances, and that's the beauty of the Strategic Account Manager. SAMA's Certified Strategic Account Manager (CSAM) program represents the highest mark of achievement when it comes to professional development for strategic and key account managers. Join Libby Souder, SAMA’s Director of Knowledge, Training, and Certification, as she extols the virtues and value of our world-class CSAM program and hear how it provides graduates with the skill set and mindset to build lasting, mutual growth with their strategic customers.

Ready to be inspired? In this incredibly moving episode, Joe Machicote, the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Premier, Inc., reveals his formula for being extraordinary, so you can become the best version of yourself. Tune in as he shares his extraordinary insights on how to build stronger customer relationships by embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Whether you’re a veteran of strategic account management or new to the fold, Joe’s powerful, life-affirming advice is guaranteed to resonate with all who listen. Hear how he found clarity in the face of tragedy, harnessed his resiliency to motivate himself and others, and applied the lessons learned to all aspects of life, including DEI&B initiatives.