Mastering Alliance Strategy

Successful business alliances today are critical to the competitive advantage of many companies. Mastering Alliance Strategy presents state-of-the-art thinking and practices for using partnerships effectively. This essential resource will help you understand and use alliances better, whether you are a new or seasoned alliance professional, a business-development specialist, a line manager, or a top executive. The authors argue that the secrets to success lie not solely in the intricacies of a deal but also in the strategy and organization behind the deal. They draw ideas and tools from years of research and reporting on four elements that are key to an effective alliance strategy:
* Designing the alliance and crafting the agreement
* Managing the alliance after it is launched
* Leveraging a constellation of alliances
* Building an internal alliance capability

James D. Bamford is a consultant in Washington, D.C., who focuses on a range of alliance issues including strategy, deal making, governance, launch, restructuring, and portfolio management. He was the cofounder and editor of The Alliance Analyst.

Benjamin Gomes-Casseres is a professor at Brandeis University and previously was at Harvard Business School. He wrote The Alliance Revolution and numerous articles on alliance strategy and he consults and teaches widely on the topic.

Michael S. Robinson is a consultant in Sydney, Australia, and was cofounder and publisher of The Alliance Analyst. He launched a number of publications and started successful businesses in Asia, Europe, and the United States.