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Elise Carbone, Head of Global Partner and Alliances at Deltek

In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Elise Carbone, Head of Global Partner and Alliances at Deltek, to explore how partnerships can make deals move faster. Her path ran through HR, consulting, and a startup that Deltek eventually acquired, giving her an unusual outsider's view of how channel and alliance work should really function.

That outsider's view shows up most clearly in how she talks about trust. Years in consulting taught her a simple rule: do not lie during the sales process, because a partnership built on an oversold promise falls apart the moment delivery starts. She carries that same discipline into how Deltek evaluates artificial intelligence, starting with the business problem a partner or customer is actually trying to solve, then asking whether AI is the right answer for it. It is a deliberate sequencing, business need first and technology second, so partners are never sold a capability they cannot yet put to use.

Elise applies the same precision to how Deltek builds its partner ecosystem, using an Ideal Partner Profile tailored to each vertical instead of one broad recruitment list, so the network stays small and genuinely useful instead of wide and thin. She brings partners into discovery calls early, before a deal is shaped, because the earlier a partner understands the customer's real problem, the more they can contribute. She is candid about the ego dynamics that surface in co-selling and treats partner-led and direct sales as the same game, just played with more people at the table.

Her closing insight ties it together: after years of advocating mentorship for young talent, she has shifted to championing sponsorship, opening doors instead of just offering advice. As she puts it, sometimes you have to slow down in order to go fast.

Key Takeaways

1. A Winding Career Path Shaped Her Partner Instincts. Elise moved through HR, HR information systems, and consulting before founding a startup, HR Smart, that Deltek acquired eleven years ago. She stepped into her current role leading Deltek's global partner and alliances organization only a couple of months ago, bringing a founder's practical eye to how partnerships actually get built.
2. Honesty During the Sales Process Builds Lasting Partnerships. Her consulting background left her with one non-negotiable rule: do not lie during the sales process. She believes an oversold promise creates a partnership that collapses the moment delivery begins, so she pushes teams to sell only what the product and the partnership can truly deliver.
3. Business Problems Come Before AI Solutions. She starts every partner and customer conversation with the actual business problem, not the technology, then asks whether artificial intelligence is the right tool for it. That sequencing keeps partners from being sold an AI capability before they have a real use for it.
4. Vertical-Specific Ideal Partner Profiles Keep the Ecosystem Focused. Deltek builds its partner network around an Ideal Partner Profile defined for each vertical, so recruitment fills real capability gaps instead of growing the roster for its own sake. The result is a small, focused channel where every partner has a clear reason to be there.
5. Bringing Partners in Early Makes Deals Move Faster. Elise involves partners in discovery calls before a deal takes shape, so a partner can understand the customer's real problem early and contribute meaningfully instead of reacting late. She also treats partner-led and direct sales as the same game played with more people at the table, a mindset that helps keep ego dynamics in co-selling in check.

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