KPMG: The blueprint for high-touch, high-impact ABM
In this episode of the Account-Based Marketing podcast, Heather Adkins shares the art and science of scaling ABM through sector-driven teams, AI-powered agents, and a relentless client focus.
How can professional services firms scale Account-Based Marketing (ABM) to cover hundreds of accounts without losing the deep client engagement and measurable impact that drives growth? Heather Adkins, Managing Director, reveals how KPMG’s transformation – anchored in sector focus, technology investment, and a client-centric mindset – has enabled the company to prioritize, personalize, and scale ABM across a complex, global organization.
Heather shares the journey of KPMG’s marketing transformation over the past four years – moving from siloed efforts to a unified, sector-led approach, integrating marketing closely with the business to serve as strategic advisors and growth drivers. Heather explains the evolution of KPMG’s ABM model – from bespoke, high-touch engagement for top accounts, to innovative clustering (“pods”) and the use of AI agents to efficiently cover a long tail of 800+ accounts.
"A focus on sector and a focus on accounts is a great recipe for being truly client-centric."
Heather Adkins, Managing Director, KPMG
KPMG’s ABM strategy is built on a centralized, tiered account list, with clear prioritization and resource allocation. Heather describes how the firm clusters accounts with similar attributes to maximize efficiency, leverages shared services and offshore teams for scalable execution, and is pioneering the use of AI-driven ABM agents to deliver personalized insights and content at scale.
This episode explores the practical realities of scaling ABM in a professional services environment, the importance of organizational design and feedback loops, and how technology and human expertise combine to drive client growth and loyalty.
Listen now to discover:
- How KPMG unified its approach to account prioritization and segmentation across a global matrix organization
- The role of sector focus in delivering relevant, high-impact client engagement
- How clustering accounts and leveraging shared services enables efficient coverage
- The development of AI-powered ABM agents to scale personalized marketing
- Why human relationships remain at the heart of professional services marketing, even in an AI-driven world
More in
-
EY: Scaling ABM for global impact
How can professional services firms scale ABM while maintaining deep client engagement and delivering measurable commercial impact? Oli Hammans and Gabriella Sellers share EY’s approach – smart prioritization, collaboration, and a relentless client-centric focus.
-
Autodesk: Reinventing relationships with the power of ABM
In this episode of the Account-Based Marketing podcast, Mendeil Bailey reveals how Autodesk is transforming its marketing strategy by harnessing ABM to prioritize customer needs, maximize impact, and fuel long-term growth.
-
The key to scalable, high-impact ABM
What does it take to build a global ABM program that delivers real impact? For Rhiannon Blackwell, Global ABM leader at PwC, success comes from starting small while thinking big, prioritizing relationships, and using AI to drive smarter, scalable growth.