Strategic Alliance Magazine Q3 2021 - 9

Up Front
Navigating an Ever-Changing " New Normal "
In a Business World That Continues to Reflect Global
Uncertainties, ASAP Is Changing with You and Working for You
By Michael Leonetti, CSAP
Just when we thought it was safe, right?
We've all become increasingly aware lately that our
smooth road to recovery from the ravages of COVID-19
continues to be studded with unexpected potholes. It's like
taking a favorite scenic drive through quiet countryside, only
to find the road under construction, with heavy equipment
at work and signs warning DETOUR AHEAD and EXPECT
DELAYS.
What happened? Somehow what was supposed to be
our " summer of joy " turned into a season of confusion and
unease, with Delta variant surges, heat waves, wildfires,
floods, and other troubling events marring what should be a
relaxed, idyllic time. Just when we thought things might be
settling into a more familiar " new normal, " instead it's " Here
we go again.... "
So many decisions: Do I mask up indoors? And what
about outside? Attend the in-person staff meeting? Forge
ahead at the office every day or work from home? Go hybrid?
Fly to meet clients, customers, or partners again at long last-
or take the cautious route and do it on Zoom, Webex, or
Teams? The list goes on.
What amazes me in this sea of constant change is how
well our ASAP community has accepted the many challenges
and taken the cascade of information coming in-some of it
conflicting-in stride. All along, our member community-
that's you!-has continued to help advance our mission,
achieve our goals, and celebrate our accomplishments.
Over the last 18 months, our ASAP staff has also been
amazing, continuing to deliver real member value every day
through challenging times. Our ASAP Webinars, both those
already completed and still to come, have been rich discussions
of important alliance management topics and always of
great interest. And because you asked for it-in our member
survey earlier this year-we've doubled down and produced
even more webinars (free for ASAP members) to ensure that
you keep getting the value you deserve.
Meanwhile, ASAP conferences are being planned
to deliver even more incredible content and value. They
include the ASAP BioPharma Conference, taking place virtually
September 27-28; the hybrid ASAP European Alliance
Summit, happening November 4-5; and what is slated to be
our first face-to-face meeting in the United States, the annual
ASAP Global Alliance Summit scheduled for April 20-21,
2022, in Tampa, Florida.
Turning to this magazine, I hope you're enjoying and
getting the most out of its wealth of original content-lately
enhanced by more of our community thought leaders contributing
to a greater extent than ever before. The current issue
features three authors from our community-Nick Palmer,
Ard-Pieter de Man, and David S. Thompson-and our goal
is that in each issue, in addition to staff-written articles, we'll
have one or more pieces contributed by partnering leaders
from around our ASAP community. We believe this makes for
a richer mix of content, and represents a terrific opportunity
for all of us to learn from the very best.
On top of that, we've expanded our roster of ASAP
Alliance Management Executive Education programming.
Many thanks to Ben Gomes-Casseres and Lynda McDermott
for planning truly excellent education on topics related to collaborative
leadership. And there's more to come, both professional
development as well as ASAP Roundtables, Mug &
Mingle, and other networking events. It's a great chance to
learn and to connect with colleagues old and new-tell your
team members and your partners, too!
The past year and a half has brought us many challenges,
but created new, often cross-segment partnering opportunities
as well. We see it in some of the stories in this issue, from
the latest automated methods of partner enablement to collaborations
between technology and healthcare to the importance
of diagnosing our digital ecosystems and getting our
alliance messaging out into the world. Read our cover story on
how biopharma's " warp speed " partnerships gave us lifesaving
vaccines and treatments-and while you're at it, check out
our BioPharma Conference agenda for more on the Merck/
Johnson & Johnson collaboration, and register to hear how
these two great companies-both ASAP Global Members-
came together to fight COVID-19.
Finally, ASAP has not been standing idle-far from it.
Our new website, www.strategic-alliances.org, is now live, featuring
much easier access to all the information, resources,
events, and great ASAP content you need and want. Elections
to the ASAP board of directors are ongoing, and our new
board members and officers will ensure that we continue to
move forward as an organization and keep steering by our
North Star. And I'd be remiss here if I didn't thank Brooke
Paige for all her hard work for ASAP, including serving more
than two terms as our board chair. Thank you, Brooke!
In a constant state of change, ASAP is here for you. We're
changing as your needs change, and we welcome your comments,
questions, and continuing contributions to our wonderful,
diverse member community. n
Q3 2021 | www.strategic-alliances.org
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Strategic Alliance Magazine Q3 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Strategic Alliance Magazine Q3 2021
