When I first published this conversation with Ard-Pieter de Man in 2014, the field of alliances was growing fast, yet many organisations still struggled with the fundamentals. Revisiting the episode now, it is striking how many of the challenges he described remain exactly the ones managers face today. His insights from both academia and practice make this discussion unusually rich and still highly relevant.
Ard-Pieter begins by cutting through the usual confusion about what an alliance actually is. For him, the defining features are joint decision-making and open-ended contracts. These two elements capture the essence of why alliances are difficult. You cannot fully script an alliance in advance, because the environment shifts and the relationship evolves. That uncertainty requires partners who can adapt together rather than fall back on rigid terms. Interestingly, he observes that contracts often change within one to three years, either becoming more complex as the partnership grows or, in trusted relationships, actually becoming simpler over time.
A significant reason for writing his book was the recurring struggle managers have with choosing the right alliance form. Many companies rely on a single model they know well and stretch it across every partnership. Ard-Pieter counters this habit by mapping the wide variety of alliance structures available, supported by real case studies instead of abstract frameworks. His goal is to provide managers with both inspiration and a practical handbook. He invites them to explore unfamiliar models and use structured checklists when designing alliances, especially once a partner is already selected and the real work begins.
The examples he shares bring those ideas to life. The long-standing alliance between KLM, Northwest, Air France, Alitalia and Delta demonstrates how a simple business idea can be the anchor for decades of cooperation, even when the execution behind it is highly complex. At the other end of the spectrum sits the Future Store Initiative, a trust-based collaboration of fifty partners with hardly any legal structure. It shows how simplicity of purpose, the right selection of partners and transparent behaviour can create impressive innovation momentum.
One of Ard-Pieter’s most valuable observations concerns change management in alliances. Most alliances change frequently, yet few organisations plan for it. He argues that proactive scenario planning is possible and necessary. Whether it is success, failure or staff turnover, many shifts can be anticipated, and the procedures for responding can be agreed well in advance.
This episode remains a strong reminder that alliances succeed not through templates but through thoughtful design, continual adjustment and a deep understanding of how collaboration really works in practice.
Books mentioned in this episode:
* Ard-Pieter de Man – Alliances: An Executive Guide to Designing Successful Strategic Partnerships
* Jeff H. Dyer – Collaborative Advantage
