How AI Agents Are Transforming Account and Project Leadership
AI Is Transforming Account Management and Project Leadership.
As someone who’s spent over a decade in account management, I’ve seen our role evolve:
From client service to strategic thinkers to creative collaborators and now, AI-enhanced leaders. We're stepping into a new frontier where AI agents are our copilots for smarter, faster delivery.
Now with AI, that balance is shifting to faster briefs, smarter sprints, and real-time reporting. But what excites me is how AI is helping us focus more on the human side of leadership: stronger ideas, deeper insights, better relationships.
Strategy, Client Service+ Ops = The Hybrid Project Leader
In today’s fast-paced agency world, account leaders/managers are project leads by default.
From budgets and briefs to creative sprints and stakeholder reviews, we unlock both strategic thinking and operational excellence.
Now, AI tools are accelerating that dual role, turning us into hybrid Account/Project Directors who own both the relationship and the rollout with more clarity and efficiency.
“McCann is investing in project managers as an evolution of the account management function”...https://www.adweek.com/agencies/mccann-worldgroup-is-getting-in-shape-for-a-project-based-future/ which certainly means we need to specialize in all tools available to us.
Admin to Strategy: Enter the AI Agent
Remember spending hours on decks, reports, or back-to-back client calls?
That’s not going away, but now, AI helps carry the load:
Strategic briefs built in minutes with ChatGPT, Crayon, or Feedly AI
Competitive & cultural insights surfaced instantly
Localized audience planning (e.g., Gen Z in Saudi Arabia or wellness tourists in Europe) is done in real time
Campaign progress is tracked via Looker Studio, Power BI, or Tableau GPT automatically
Real-Time Project Coordination
AI copilots like Auto-GPT or Motion AI can:
✔️ Auto-adjust timelines
✔️ Reassign tasks based on bandwidth
✔️ Flag scope creep
✔️ Schedule standups with relevant agendas
According to PMI, 81% of project managers believe AI will reshape how they lead, and McKinsey predicts AI will automate up to 70% of project coordination tasks.
Hyper-Personalized Client Leadership and Smarter Reporting
Smart CRMs, Superhuman AI, and Copilot tools allow account managers to:
Anticipate client tone shifts, draft responses in your voice, track stakeholder movements (even before LinkedIn alerts you!), and on the surface case studies and preempt objections instantly
Real-time data and actionable insights now power your 9:00 AM status meeting through Budget pacing, Campaign performance, Sentiment signals, and In-flight optimizations for media and creative.
Recently Certified in AI for Project Management
I completed PMI’s "Generative AI Overview for Project Managers", a future-focused course that explores how AI agents:
Automate workflows
Enhance decision-making
Support strategic planning
Improve collaboration
I used it to build a complete Project Charter and Gantt (Project Plan) with delivery timings, media breakdowns, influencer workflows, and presented it to my client the next day. The power of AI in what usually would take me a few days to manually input into an Excel document :)
Final Thought
The best account leaders bring energy, instinct, and creative vision. If you’re in account management, project leadership, or even creative strategy, don’t ignore AI. Lean in. Learn the tools. And use them to lead better. Project managers might be able to get the project to the finish line, but they won't be nurturing the relationship with the client, nor mediating/ strategizing on the best ROI and mid-long-term vision. By honing our skills and pairing this with AI built for scale, we unlock faster execution, bolder ideas, and deeper client trust. Let’s build smarter, together.
📍 rushbhana.com
🔗 Rush Bhana | #GlobalAccountLeader #Project Leader
