What is your role in the business, and what are your main responsibilities?
As Group Account Director, my role is to oversee the account management team and ensure the smooth running of all client accounts and activations. I work closely with all Account Managers and Account Executives to support on the day-to-day, provide direction and guidance and always be available to soundboard and advise. As part of the leadership team, I am also involved in wider business areas from strategy, systems, resource and all business matters.
Can you walk us through a typical day in your role, from the moment you arrive at work to when you leave?
This is actually a difficult question to answer as it really depends on what’s happening that day! In general terms my days are spent checking in with the Account Management team to ensure everything is running smoothly and troubleshooting where required. I am also in regular communication with clients and suppliers. I am part of a lot of internal meetings, regularly review team performance, review pipeline and pick up new leads and client enquiries. As a tight knit senior team, there are regular catch ups to review and discuss current status and planning.
What are the key tasks or projects you are currently working on?
A lot! Even though we have just bid farewell to the festival season, we're still deep in the throes of peak event season. Much of my daily agenda centers around overseeing stock management and reporting reconciliations. I am also working on some new client prospects and upcoming activations, which is really exciting. As ever, I am working closely with our team and supporting them to ensure that we are consistently delivering the highest level of service to all our clients and field staff.
How do you prioritise your tasks and manage your time effectively?
After years in this industry, working at a fast pace has become my norm. Prioritising tasks and effectively managing my time is a skill that I have honed during my time! However, my secret weapon is my trusty to-do list! I update it daily - sometimes more than once - and it keeps me on task and on-top of everything that is going on in the business.
What are the biggest challenges you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenge in my role is making sure that everyone in my team and wider business has sufficient time to access me, whilst still ensuring that my other responsibilities are not missed or delayed. It is a challenge, but working with such a proactive and talented team helps hugely! Of course, as in any business, regular and clear communication is key. At Kru, we host a company wide meeting each Monday morning where we discuss the projects going live that week, celebrate wins and address any challenges, and I have a quick catch up with my team each morning to ensure that we are aligned on our tasks and goals for the day.
How do you collaborate with other team members or departments to achieve common goals?
Communication! I’ve said it before, but communication is key! By ensuring effective and efficient communication, we are able to ensure that we are all on the same page and working towards a collective goal. The Kru family has a wealth of experience and knowledge, so listening to others points of view - and indeed, ensuring that all members of the team have a safe space to share their ideas is very important to the success and happiness of our team.
What do you enjoy most about your role, and what keeps you motivated?
I enjoy the variety and flexibility that comes with this role. There is no limit to the variation of this role - in the morning, I could be working with a household name client to provide highly trained tech hosts for an internal event and in the afternoon, I could be working on an international activation spanning multiple continents, providing Brand Ambassadors to support rock stars on their tour. It’s great! Ultimately though, the thing that I love is working with people every day. Whether that is clients, our internal team or our field staff, it’s really the people that make this job what it is. We really do have a great bunch here at Kru Live!
Can you share a recent success story or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of?
Looking back at my first year at Kru Live, I am really proud of the speed in which I have built strong, trusted relationships with the team. I came into an established senior leadership and wider team just over twelve months ago, and the transition has been seamless. Of course, it has been made easier by my colleagues - but from the minute I stepped through the door, I was made to feel completely welcome and supported to hit the ground running. It does feel like I’ve been part of the team a lot longer - and that’s a good thing!
We recently had a summer away day for the team and part of that was a testimonial challenge where we each shared feedback and endorsements from clients and staff, which was amazing. We have so many projects live throughout the year that we are often onto the next one without taking a moment to celebrate the great work we have just achieved - it was truly inspiring and motivating. I was also on chef duty at our recent away day - so managing to cook a BBQ for the full team without anyone falling sick was a real proud moment!
What advice would you give to someone who aspires to work in a similar role or industry?
Work hard and listen to others! No one will have all of the answers, but there is always a solution to any problem. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and get to know your colleagues and clients as much as you can - having a good relationship with them will always make your role so much easier.
If you are a brand or agency looking for great Brand Ambassadors for your next campaign or activation, get in touch with our CEO, Sarah-Jane, would would be more than happy to discuss your requirements and see if Kru Live is able to assist.
Contact: info@krulive.com or: +44 (0)203 838 7272
