Your Graphite Team And How We Work Together

Graphite creates a team structured to run as an extension of the client’s business — strategic guidance at the top, expert execution underneath, and clear ownership across every piece of the engagement. Each role has a defined lane, so clients always know who to go to, whether working through a tactical question, a service-specific request, or something bigger picture.

The sections below walk through each role, what they own, and when to bring them in — along with what Graphite asks from everyone to keep the engagement running at its best.

Account Executive

The Account Executive is the first point of contact with Graphite and guides clients through the sales process — understanding the business, scoping the right mix of services regardless of stage and structure, and getting the agreement in place. They bring a working knowledge of how companies typically use Graphite, which helps them right-size each package from the start rather than leaving the client to figure out what is needed.

Once the contract is signed, a Customer Success Specialist becomes the main point of contact. The CSS will loop the AE back in if the client is interested in adding new services or expanding.

Customer Success Specialist

The CSS is focused on the ongoing health of the account and the value the client gets from Graphite. The CSS thinks about the relationship at the highest level — how Graphite support maps to where the business is heading, how to get the most out of the team working alongside, and where there are opportunities to deepen or expand the client’s portfolio.

The CSS guides clients through onboarding, educates them on our services and how to use them well, runs quarterly reviews and annual planning, and surfaces opportunities to adjust the engagement as the business evolves.

The CSS is also the right person to bring bigger-picture questions to — things like:

• “We’re about to close a funding round — how should our finance support shift?”
• “We’re hiring fast — do we have the right payroll and HR setup in place?”
• “I’m not sure who on the team should own this.”

Every new engagement begins with a 30 to 45 day onboarding period, which the CSS runs end to end — setting up systems, aligning on workflows, and getting the team fully operational with the client’s business. Once onboarding wraps, the engagement moves into its ongoing rhythm, and the Services Lead becomes the most frequent day-to-day contact.

The CSS stays close to the full account throughout — running the quarterly reviews, surfacing opportunities, and making sure the right experts are engaged at the right moments.

Services Lead and Service Team

The Services Lead is embedded in the day-to-day operations and handles the work the client hired Graphite to do. This is the team doing the closes, building the models, running the payroll, filing the taxes, or managing the HR — the CPAs, accountants, MBAs, and finance, payroll, and HR experts integrated into the workflow. Clients interact with the Services Lead most regularly on the actual service work once onboarding wraps.

The real value of the Services Lead compounds over time. They know the client’s books, systems, people, and the quirks of how the business runs — and that context is what allows them to:

• Flag when revenue recognition on a new contract needs a second look before close.
• Notice when a vendor invoice doesn’t match what’s in the client’s system.
• Raise a question about a payroll change before it becomes a problem.

The longer they work with the client, the more proactive their judgment becomes!

The Services Lead is also the right person to bring service-specific questions to — things like:

• “How should we categorize this new expense type going forward?”
• “Can you walk me through the P&L variance in last month’s close?”
• “We just hired in a new state — what do we need to get in place for payroll?”

Clients who engage with Graphite across more than one service line will have a Services Lead for each, with one CSS who keeps the overall account aligned across them.

How to Reach the Team

The CSS will introduce the client to the full team during onboarding and confirm the best ways to communicate with each of them — typically a mix of email, scheduled meetings, and a shared communication channel for day-to-day questions. 

What to Expect From Ongoing Communication

The Graphite team stays in regular contact throughout the engagement — not just when something comes up. What that looks like day to day:

• Services Lead: Regular working communication through the shared channel and scheduled check-ins, tied to the rhythm of the service work, including month-end close, payroll cycles, and reporting periods.
• CSS: A Quarterly Business Review to step back and look at the full engagement, with annual planning once a year. The CSS also reaches out between reviews when something on the account needs attention or when there’s an opportunity worth flagging.

For where to submit specific types of requests and what to expect, see How to Submit Requests.

What We Ask of Each Other

A strong engagement depends on a steady operational rhythm and clear expectations on both sides. The work we each do to hold that rhythm is what keeps the account running efficiently and the teams fully synced.

What We Ask From Clients

• Platform access: Grant access to key systems within one week of kickoff as part of onboarding.
• Timely response: Reply within one to two business days to bank and credit card confirmation requests, and to other time-sensitive questions from the Graphite team.
• Business updates: Share material changes as they happen — new revenue streams, new processors, new bank accounts, new software or platforms — so we can adjust the setup.
• Internal changes: Let Graphite know about staffing changes on the company’s accounting, finance, payroll, or HR teams so we know who’s involved and what’s shifting on the client side.
• Reporting needs: Give advance notice of special reporting needs — board materials, audits, fundraising, expedited closes — so we can plan ahead and staff for them.
• Proactive communication: Reply to Slack within one business day and email within two business days wherever possible. Timely back-and-forth keeps the whole engagement on schedule.

What to Expect From Us

• A commitment to meeting deadlines and running predictable workflows.
• A proactive approach where we ask questions, flag issues, and keep things from falling through the cracks.
• No middleman between our teams. When an issue spans service lines — a payroll error affecting the accounting close, for example — Graphite coordinates internally to resolve it. The client is never responsible for managing communication between Graphite teams.
• A Quarterly Business Review to discuss what’s working, what needs attention, and how our service should evolve as the client’s business scales.
• Internal process documentation specific to the client’s workflows, so the work holds steady even when staff changes on either side.
• Timely communication. We’ll acknowledge requests within one business day, Monday through Friday. Complex questions may take longer to research and answer in full, but expect to hear within the acknowledgment window either way. For urgent matters, mark the subject line URGENT so it’s prioritized immediately.
• Adherence to the Graphite holiday calendar with advance notice of closures.
• Seamless handoffs when team members change. If anyone on the Graphite team transitions off the account, the knowledge transfer happens behind the scenes. The client’s documented workflows, account context, and history carry over to the new team member, so the work continues smoothly.

If Something Is Not Right

Most questions and requests are resolved through regular points of contact. When something needs more attention — a persistent issue, a quality concern, or an urgent matter — there’s a clear path forward.

Start with the Customer Success Specialist. The CSS is the first stop for most concerns, including dissatisfaction with response times, questions about how a request is being handled, or general friction in the relationship. The CSS owns the resolution and will pull in the right people internally, including senior leadership when the situation calls for it.

For concerns about the work itself, raise it with the Services Lead. Consistently missed deadlines, accuracy of a report, process deterioration, or a gap in expertise on the team — bring these directly to the Services Lead. The CSS can help connect the client if needed.

For urgent matters — newsworthy HR incidents, payroll failing to run, or any issue with immediate business impact — go to the Services Lead first, with the CSS copied. Mark the subject line URGENT so it’s prioritized immediately. Alternatively, use your dedicated Graphite email address. This ensures coverage when someone is out and gives both teams visibility into what’s happening on the account.

Behind the scenes, the CSS coordinates with Services Leads, subject-matter experts, and Graphite leadership as needed. 

One Team, Clear Ownership

Between the client’s AE, CSS, and Services Lead, every part of the engagement has a clear owner — the commercial relationship, the strategic overview, and the day-to-day work.

When something crosses lanes, the team coordinates behind the scenes so clients don’t have to.