SVP, Senior Client Partner

dentsu•New York, NY

7d•$237,000 - $275,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The SVP, Senior Client Partner is the senior-most Merkle executive on a portfolio of strategic accounts, accountable for account strategy, commercial performance, client relationships, and outcomes. The role leads accounts generating $15M to $20M+ in annual net revenue across Merkle’s integrated capabilities, including Modern CRM, Content Supply Chain, Martech for Media, Connected CX, B2B Transformation, and AI & Agentic Services, as well as alliance partnerships and the wider One Merkle + One dentsu offering. The role prioritizes retention and defense of the existing revenue base before growth. The Client Partner regularly re-underwrites the value of current work, protects accounts from scope erosion and displacement, and expands business through adjacent services, new buying centers, and account growth opportunities. Account management, delivery, solutioning, and sales contribute to a unified account plan owned by the Client Partner. The position also personally maintains executive-level client relationships and is accountable for answering commercial, relationship, and delivery questions about the account. The position is based at a dentsu hub in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, or New York City, with three days per week in the office (two days in Los Angeles). Remote work may be considered for candidates outside commuting distance depending on business need. The position reports to the SVP, Growth Officer.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive experience in client services, client management, or enterprise account leadership within an advertising agency, consultancy, marketing services firm, systems integrator, or client-side marketing organization.
Direct P&L accountability for accounts of meaningful scale.
Demonstrated success owning $20M+ books and leading complex, multi-service-line engagements across multiple industries.
Track record of growing and defending revenue under pressure.
Personally held executive relationships at CMO, CIO, or CFO level, with credibility to earn trust where budget decisions are made.
Deep working knowledge of CXM/CRM, Loyalty, Data and Analytics, Identity, Digital Marketing, Content Supply Chain, B2B, and Enterprise AI/Martech.
Experience directing account teams without line-management authority and setting direction without relying on escalation.
Strong commercial acumen in pricing strategy, multi-year deal structuring, negotiation, margin defense, forecasting, contracts, and accounts receivable management.
Experience defending an account against in-housing, offshore substitution, or competitive displacement.
Working command of modern AI capabilities and their effects on delivery timelines, commercial models, and client expectations.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Ability to work in a matrixed environment and be accountable for outcomes produced by people who do not report directly to the role.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Alliance experience with Adobe, Salesforce, or a comparable platform partner, including joint account planning and co-sell execution.

Responsibilities

Own strategic accounts end-to-end, including client satisfaction, revenue retention, margin quality, forecast accuracy, and year-over-year growth.
Defend contracted revenue against scope erosion, in-housing, offshore substitution, procurement-driven rate compression, and competitive displacement; re-underwrite the value case quarterly.
Drive expansion through cross-selling, adjacent-scope extension, entry into new buying centers, and AOR expansion, including at least two qualified non-CXM opportunities per book.
Set and own the account strategy and growth plan, aligning account management, delivery, and the Enterprise Sales Lead to a current written plan.
Personally maintain executive client relationships at the level where budget decisions are made and map stakeholder coverage to reduce account risk.
Navigate multi-stakeholder environments across business, technology, operations, vendor management, and procurement, adapting to buyer styles and extending Merkle’s footprint.
Manage account contracts, pricing, profitability, revenue and margin forecasts, and accounts receivable health; keep Salesforce accurate and current.
Coordinate sub-Practice delivery with Solutioning, Account, and Program Management to streamline execution and provide a white-glove client experience; hold delivery accountable for method and quality while owning the commercial result.
Partner with Alliance leaders at Adobe, Google, Salesforce, AWS, and Braze on joint account planning, pipeline mapping, and co-sell motions, including at least one Alliance Joint Teaming motion per account growth plan annually.
Run a proactive client cadence including Innovation Days, Discovery Workshops, Executive Business Reviews, and quarterly outcome-focused value reviews.
Provide thought leadership to accounts through events, points of view, workshops, and executive narratives that position Merkle as a strategic partner.
Provide leadership and direction to Account Directors, Engagement Leaders, and Capability teams in a matrixed environment.
Build account strategies and opportunities addressing client transformation challenges across customer data and CRM, content production, B2B go-to-market, AI and automation, marketing measurement, and platform migration or martech rationalization.
Meet portfolio success milestones, including taking over account commercial and relationship information, establishing account plans and operating cadence, improving executive relationship coverage, addressing retention exposure, completing renewals, and delivering committed revenue and margin.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Vision insurance
Dental insurance
Life insurance
Short-term disability
Long-term disability
401(k)
Flexible paid time off
At least 15 paid holidays per year
Paid sick and safe leave
Paid parental leave
Discretionary incentive compensation tied to account leadership and growth outcomes