Who it's for
This training is for client-facing team members who manage accounts and projects.
See More >Why it matters
Client expectations of agencies have spiked. They want stronger leadership, deeper strategic thinking, more integrated activation, and tangible business impact – agency account managers are the linchpin.
How it works
This certification training program now has 3 levels to choose from: Mastering Client & Project Leadership, Mastering Client Business Strategy, and Mastering Organic Growth. Each level has 4 live remote sessions of 90 minutes or more.
See More >Who it’s for
This training is for client-facing team members who manage accounts and projects. The three program levels are designed for different ranges of agency experience.
- For more senior leaders: with more than 8 years of experience. Level Three is the best starting point. Participants will learn advanced skills and methodologies to more strategically drive business growth for your clients, be recognized as indispensable client partners, and drive organic growth for your agency.
- For mid-level and more senior leaders: with 5-10 years of experience, Level Two is the best starting point. Participants will learn critical new strategic and leadership skills to more effectively lead clients and become stronger, more proactive partners.
- For mid-level and more junior leaders: with less than 5 years of experience, Level One is the best starting point. Participants will take a more advanced look at the core skills necessary to become strong client leaders.
Applicable to various client-facing roles
Depending on your agency’s structure, this may include account management, client services, project management, department leads, practice leads, etc.
Sending a group?
If you are sending a group, it is ideal to have those who work together on a client. When teams collaborate in the interactive breakout exercises, the impact on that account is even greater. Groups of 2 – 4 people focused on an account is an ideal size. If sending more, simply choose more accounts to focus on.
How it works
This certification training program now has 3 levels to choose from: Level One: Account Management Fundamentals; Level Two: Mastering Agency Strategy; Level Three: Mastering Organic Growth. Each has 4 live remote sessions of 90 minutes or more.
By participating in this training, your client leads will learn how to:
- Apply new models and frameworks to accelerate the ability to be more strategic with clients
- More confidently lead clients (now being empowered with their new skills)
- Better understand and address each client’s most pressing business needs
- Better lead the agency’s resources to provide more value to clients
- Increase the agency’s fees
Interactive Breakout Exercises
To ensure everyone applies the training back to their own unique situations, participants will select one high-value account to focus on. They will participate in interactive active breakout exercises and apply the lessons back to this client. The training will conclude with new skills and new plans in place to improve their performance with – and value to – this important account. With this in place, they can then apply their new skills back to all their accounts.
Sending a group?
If you are sending a group, it is ideal to have those who work together on a client. When teams collaborate in the interactive breakout exercises, the impact on that account is even greater. Groups of 2 – 4 people focused on an account is an ideal size. If sending more, simply add more accounts to focus on.
More valuable client leads
Ultimately, the goal of the training is to provide the new methods, models and tools to immediately improve the effectiveness and value of those who manage accounts and projects.
Who it’s for
This training is for mid-level client-facing team members who manage accounts and projects.
Depending on your agency’s structure, this may include account management, client services, project management, department leads, practice leads, etc. For those in account management/client services, consider those who are Senior AE, up through Account Supervisor and Junior Account Director.
If you are sending a group, it is ideal to have those who work together on a client. The training is a series of sequential building blocks, with interactive breakout exercises that are applied back to an account in the agency. When teams work together on these exercises, the impact on that account is almost immediate.
Now three levels of account mastery certification
Mastering Client & Project Leadership
The New Role of Account Leadership
Effective Project & Client Management
Business Writing for Client Management
Manage Project Scope & Profitability
Mastering Client Business Strategy
Master Client Business Analysis
Faster Research for Bigger Strategic Insight
Write More Effective Strategy Briefs
Journey Modeling for Advanced Diagnostics
Mastering Organic Growth
Diagnostic Client Business Strategy
Develop Business-Building Ideas Clients Will Buy
Present Those Ideas So Clients Will Sign Off
Write Assertive Organic Growth Plans
(pop up explains how to apply this new series)
Took Our Previous Training?
If you participated in the Account Mastery series in November 2022 or March 2023, you can contact our team for a custom experience which may include recorded sessions plus live sessions.
Past Mirren Account Mastery attendees have included
Meet your instructors
Brent Hodgins
Managing Director, Mirren
About 
Laura Matthews
Director, Agency Growth Strategy, Mirren
About
Sharon Honjiyo
Director, Agency Growth Strategy, Mirren
About
Brent is the Managing Director at Mirren and specializes in training agency teams how to master client leadership, strategy, organic growth and new business. Ultimately, the goal is to have agencies become indispsensable strategic partners with their clients.
He can also be heard encouraging agency teams to be careful of submissively bowing down to clients. “As soon as you put the client up on a pedestal, you lower your position in their mind. It’s a downward spiral from there. If you bring a high level of expertise to the table, then take a stand and command the respect you deserve – as a peer.”
Brent began his career in account management at Leo Burnett, where he worked on Kellogg’s, Johnson & Johnson and McDonald’s. Later at TBWA, he ran the digital group in New York, before moving into new business at Wieden + Kennedy.
After 10 years in New York, Mirren moved its offices to Seattle. Brent resides in the Ballard area with his wife and son.
Laura is Director of Agency Growth Strategy at Mirren. She brings experience across a range of industries and agencies (digital, full service, PR) – giving her a well-rounded perspective in her training.
At Mirren, Laura trains agency teams on client retention, growth, strategy, and new business. In particular, she believes agencies need to lean in more with their clients. “Too often, agencies limit themselves to a vendor role where they’re seen as order takers. The most successful agencies make the effort to deeply understand their clients’ categories and bottom-line goals, and deliver work that is clearly positioned to impact those goals.”
Laura spent nearly six years with VMLY&R, where she led work for Bridgestone, Tennessee Tourism, and Intel, among other brands.
Originally from South Carolina, Laura moved to Seattle in 2019 after spending a decade in Nashville, TN.
Sharon is Director of Agency Growth Strategy at Mirren. She brings senior experience for the agency and client-side. As head of brand marketing at Holland America, she ran their agency rosters and competitive reviews. In her agency tenure, she ran accounts, strategy and new business pitches. All combined, this brings tremendous insight to her training.
At Mirren, she empowers agency teams to become more proactive and strategic business partners. In fact, she believes there are many untapped revenue opportunities for agencies. “As a client, I regularly experienced my agencies missing many of our strategic needs that would have resulted in significant additional work.”
Sharon led account management and strategy at a number of agencies, including DDB, HL2 and Hornall Anderson Design. Prior to joining Mirren, she ran the brand marketing team at Holland America, a premium cruise line within Carnival Corporation – the world’s largest leisure travel company.
Originally from San Francisco, Sharon currently lives in Seattle with her husband
About Mirren
Mirren is a training firm that specializes in providing agency teams with the skills to capture a greater share of each client’s spend. Our team has experience client-side and at agencies that include Wieden + Kennedy, TBWA and VMLY&R.
We provide the new methods, models and tools to have agency teams more effectively lead clients, become indispensable partners, generate organic growth, and win more new business.
In addition to this training series, we provide Custom Training for agency teams and produce Mirren Live, the annual event focused on agency industry innovation and creativity.