Managing Global Accounts : Nine Critical Factors for a World-Class Program

Capon (Columbia University), Potter (formerly with Xerox), and Schindler (formerly with IBM) assert that firms must come to grips with globalization challenges by developing appropriate strategies, organization structures, and business practices for managing global customers. The nine critical strategies they identify include securing effective global account managers, establishing the supporting organizational infrastructure, and demonstrating the global account program's incremental value to the firm. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Noel Capon is the R.C. Kopf Professor of International Marketing and Chair of the Marketing Division at the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University. He is also author of the highly acclaimed book Key Account Management and Planning, (The Free Press, 2001) and director of senior-executive Strategic Account Management Programs at Columbia Business School and at the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota.

Dave Potter had a 35-year career at Xerox, a company known for significant managerial innovation. After holding a variety of domestic sales management and quality officer positions, he filled numerous Asian posts, including director of marketing, China South Pacific, general manager, South East Asia, and vice president of marketing, Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific. From 1995 to 2002, he was the director of marketing, global account management.

Fred Schindler had a similar 33-year career with IBM during which he consulted with IBM account teams and customers to improve global account management. For seven years, Fred was program executive for IBM’s Global Customer Management program, encompassing its top 150 global clients. He consulted with multinational client teams and with team leaders of various IBM infrastructure groups—the international special bids group, relationship management process owners, services support groups, and brand divisions.