In 2023, the organization undertook a significant restructuring of the business team, introducing the account team model that differentiated between “Partner Service Leads” (now they call it "Partner Success") and “Partner Leads.” Under this model, more experienced colleagues were positioned as Partner Service Leads, with an implicit assumption that their role would focus primarily on operational contacts. At the same time, newly recruited Partner Leads were expected to manage relationships with global CEOs and C-suite executives.
In practice, this role separation has not materialized. Communications with partners remain highly centralized around operational contacts, and there is limited to no direct access to executive-level stakeholders for either role. This is the reality as companies will never allow you reaching out directly to their executives due to their internal communications process, leadership change sensitivity, partnership sponsorship status etc. As a result, both Partner Service Leads and Partner Leads are performing overlapping work, leading to duplication, inefficiencies, and confusion around accountability. The current structure has also unintentionally introduced perceived bias, as senior-level engagement opportunities are formally assigned to one role, despite the fact that the underlying access and responsibilities do not support this distinction.
Overall, the model has created a gap between role design and day-to-day reality, reducing effectiveness and morale across the team. In practice, a significant portion of the substantive work—including relationship maintenance with operational contacts, coordination, preparation, and follow-up—is carried out by Partner Service Leads. However, the visibility and perceived ownership of partner relationships are often attributed to Partner Leads, despite their reliance on this underlying work. This dynamic has created a sense of unfairness, as contributions are not consistently recognized in line with effort or responsibility. Over time, this imbalance risks undermining trust, motivation, and collaboration within the team.
