SVP, Senior Client Partner

About the Role

As SVP, Senior Client Partner, you are the senior-most Merkle executive on the account, responsible for the account’s commercial result, strategy, and client relationship at the budget decision-making level. You lead a portfolio of strategic accounts generating $15M to $20M+ in annual net revenue across Merkle’s integrated capabilities, supported by alliance partnerships with Adobe, Google, Salesforce, AWS, and Braze. Retention precedes growth, and you are measured on the health and defense of the existing book before pursuing expansion.

Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of strategic accounts end-to-end: client satisfaction, revenue retention (>90%), margin quality, forecast accuracy, and year-over-year growth.
• Defend the contracted revenue base against scope erosion, in-housing, offshore substitution, procurement-driven rate compression, and competitive displacement.
• Drive revenue expansion through cross-sell, adjacent-scope extension, new buying center entry, and AOR expansion.
• Set and own the account strategy and growth plan, ensuring alignment across account management, delivery, and the Enterprise Sales Lead.
• Hold executive relationships at the CMO, CIO, CFO level and map stakeholder coverage to mitigate account risk.
• Manage commercial aspects: contracts, pricing, profitability, revenue forecasting, and AR health.
• Bridge sub-Practice delivery with Solutioning, Account, and Program Management for seamless execution.
• Partner with Alliance leaders on joint account planning and co-sell motions.
• Run a proactive Client Partner cadence: Innovation Days, Discovery Workshops, Executive Business Reviews, and quarterly value reviews.
• Provide thought leadership through events, POVs, workshops, and executive narratives.
• Lead and direct Account Directors, Engagement Leaders, and Capability teams in a matrixed environment.

Client Challenges You’ll Solve

• Unifying fragmented customer data and CRM systems for personalized, orchestrated journeys.
• Scaling content production using AI to manage assets and streamline creative operations.
• Transforming B2B go-to-market into integrated, account-based motions with measurable impact.
• Deploying AI and agentic automation across the customer experience for engagement and efficiency.
• Defending marketing investment by tying experience spend to revenue outcomes.
• Navigating platform migrations and martech rationalization to modern architectures.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in client services, client management, or enterprise account leadership.
• Demonstrated success owning $20M+ books and leading complex, multi-service-line engagements.
• Executive relationships held personally at CMO, CIO, or CFO level.
• 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.
• Strong commercial acumen: pricing, deal structuring, negotiation, and margin defense.
• Track record of defending accounts against in-housing, offshore substitution, or competitive displacement.
• Working command of modern AI capability and its impact on delivery and commercial models.
• Alliance experience with Adobe, Salesforce, or comparable platform partners.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus.

What Success Looks Like

• First 30 days: Full handover of commercial position, contract terms, delivery status, and relationship map. Meet all named client stakeholders and identify retention risks.
• Day 60: Publish account plans and establish operating cadence. Align account management, delivery, and Enterprise Sales Lead.
• Day 90: Hold executive relationships above predecessor’s level. Address urgent retention exposure and open extension opportunities.
• Month six: Complete one renewal on improved terms, produce client-attested value result, and build a qualified growth pipeline.
• Year one: Deliver committed revenue and margin, retain >90% of base, open new buying centers, and ensure account plans are operational.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $237,000 to $275,000. Placement within the range is based on relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law. This position is also eligible for discretionary incentive compensation tied to account leadership and growth outcomes.

Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance.
• Life insurance; short-term and long-term disability.
• 401(k); flexible paid time off.
• At least 15 paid holidays per year.
• Paid sick and safe leave; paid parental leave.

Additional Information

This is a hybrid role based from a dentsu hub (Chicago, Detroit metro, Los Angeles, or New York City), three days in office per week (two days in LA). Remote considered for candidates outside commutable range, based on business need.