Key Account Management 

(incl. GSKA)

Group Strategic Key Accounts

As part of our Customer Engagement Model reinvention, Syensqo is seeking to improve our strategic account management business practices and create more shared value with our customers. In 2020, the Group kicked off an initiative aiming at our top 20 customers at Group level. Post spin off, 16 of them remain with Syensqo. These 16 “Group Strategic Key Accounts” (GSKA) have a high growth potential and strong strategic fit with Syensqo's DNA: innovation, technology and a strong drive on sustainability. Each GSKA is managed by an Executive Key Account Manager (EKAM). The EKAM as a Syensqo-wide role as they represent all Syensqo business at each of these accounts moving forward.

The intent of the GSKA initiative is to implement a truly differentiated service to Strategic Customers and to allocate resources disproportionately in order to accelerate our growth ambition with these customers.

Important link: GSKA playbook. 

What is a GSKA?

GSKA has the potential to significantly contribute to Syensqo 5-year CM growth and must require the Group-wide focus & GSKA service model to either deliver the growth potential, or explore it. This requirement is assessed based on the potential for joint innovation, strategic alignment, and complexity of delivering the growth ambition.

GSKA Selection

For the selection, we want to focus on our top-growing accounts with 2 different filters: economic filter (growth) and qualitative filter (innovation, complexity). The decision is taken by the Chief Commercial Officer and the ELT. 

The qualitative discussion is looking at 3 criterions: Innovation (capacity to develop new methods and propose new ideas) , Strategic alignment (between the market strategy and the way Solvay is organized) and Complexity (limited and high complexity in order to achieve target growth). 

List of 16 GSKAs

(Sept. 2023 latest update)

Strategic Key Account

In 2023, we launched a similar approach to the next layer of strategic accounts for Syensqo, aiming for the top 40 accounts. This program is rooted into the GSKA initiatives that was launched towards the end of 2020 and targeted the top 20 accounts at group level. Novecare, SpP and Composite Materials were in scope of this first launch. The biggest difference is that, unlike the EKAM role, the SKAM role is not meant to be cross-GBUs. 

There are 4 key levers behind this initiative: selecting the right accounts to focus on, upskilling the frontline on 6 core competencies, rethinking KAP definition to make it more efficient and effective, and finally better supporting KAP execution and performance management.  

Important link: SKA playbook

Scoping - What is an SKA? 

The scoping was done in line with the group segmentation rules whereby a SKA must have an ICM equal or greater than 5 M€ and a growth potential of +5M€ on the MTP horizon. 

We are adding to these largely prescriptive quantitative criteria a set of qualitative elements to confirm that the nature of the partnership, the customer’s leadership position and our own ability to supply make it worth reinforcing our organisation’s focus on these customers. 

In total, about 30 accounts were selected across SpP, Novecare and Composite Materials, to be part of this SKAM initiative. This selection has to be differentiated from the GBU segmentation that is yearly updated and looks at a broader list of accounts, mostly focusing on the quantitative criterion below. 

SKAMs upskilling

The SKAMs went through a 360° assessment across 6 core competencies, with the aim to build a personalised development plan. 

The core competencies are the following: Negotiation skills, Customer needs and understanding, Impact and influence, People management, Strategic thinking, Achievement drive.

KAP

The Key Account Plan is a key enabler to build a comprehensive bottom-up strategic plan to grow a strategic account. This is a mandatory corner stone for GSKAs and SKAs. 

A robust KAP aims to help G/S/KA teams and leaders answer five critical questions

1. What do we know about our customer and what is our proposition to them?
2. How well are we serving their needs and what is the resulting performance?
3. What are our strategic objectives and ambitions with this customer?
4. What strategic imperatives, initiatives and actions should we focus on to achieve the objectives?
5. How are we going to execute the actions and what support is needed?

As part of this SKAM initiative, the KAP template (Link) was completely revisited to focus on these 5 questions and make it a comprehensive while actionable document, that supports the growth delivery.