From March 2021 to January 2025 I was Senior Key Account Manager at Oman Broadband. I managed the company's key accounts, and client satisfaction and retention rose by 20% in that time. The role also covered revenue growth and sector analysis (my career).
What the role was
A key account is a client that matters too much to treat as a ticket number. My job was to own the relationship with these clients. I built strategic relationships, looked for new market openings and brought broadband solutions to each client's real needs. I also worked with teams across the company, because no single team can serve a large account alone.
The role had three parts in practice. The first part was the relationship. The second part was revenue. The third part was analysis of the sectors my clients worked in.
Retention comes before growth
The figure I am most proud of is the 20% rise in client satisfaction and retention. Retention is the base of revenue growth. A client who leaves takes the account's revenue and its future with them. A client who stays gives you time to grow the account.
So I put the existing relationship first. I wanted to know what each client needed before the client had to ask. That is slow work, and it does not look good on a weekly report. But it is the work that keeps a client.
Sector analysis makes the conversation better
A key account manager who only knows the product has a short conversation. A manager who knows the client's sector has a long one. Sector analysis was part of my role, and I used it to prepare for client conversations.
When you know the pressures on a client's sector, you can see which service will help them next. You can also see which account has room to grow and which account needs care. This is where revenue growth and retention meet.
Working across teams
A large account touches many teams in a company. When one team is slow, the client feels it. Much of my work was inside the company. I got the right people to act for the client at the right time. I learned a lesson there. A key account manager speaks for the client inside the company, and for the company outside it.
Two roles at the same time
From November 2021 to June 2023 I also held a secondment at the Oman Vision 2040 Office. My title there was Head of Business Environment. I helped build the Invest in Oman centre. I also worked on the National Investment Strategy, which narrowed 43 sectors to 8 priority sectors. Sector analysis was useful in both roles. The scale was different, but the question was the same: where is the value, and what does it need?
What I took with me
In February 2025 I became Head of Strategic Planning at ITHCA Group. The lessons from key accounts came with me. First, protect what you have before you chase what you do not have. Second, learn the other side's sector before you sit down with them.
I use the same rules at BHD Group, which I have led as founder and CEO since 2019. When I look at an important client there, I ask the questions I learned to ask at Oman Broadband.
Related: My experience, From 43 sectors to 8.