214 – Unleashing $Billions in Growth: Chief Partner Officer Secrets with Greg Sarafin
Mar 25, 2024
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Global Managing Partner—Alliance Ecosystem at EY, Greg Sarafin, shares secrets to driving billions in growth through strategic partnerships and leadership. Topics include tech industry's impact on GDP, AI value creation, effective partner operations, and leadership skills for C-suite roles.
Strategic partnerships drive GDP growth and industry transformation through ecosystem collaborations.
Chief Partner Officers should integrate partnering as a core function for comprehensive organizational impact.
Value creation is emphasized in partner ecosystems, focusing on shared success and differentiated propositions.
Deep dives
The Decade of Ecosystems: Unlocking Capital Efficiency and Value Creation
Partnerships and collaborations across industries have become imperative as they enable companies to pool resources, expertise, and access to drive value creation efficiently. The emergence of tech advancements like AI and cloud computing has further lowered barriers to interoperability between companies, facilitating new value propositions at no additional cost. This shift towards ecosystems is driving GDP growth and transforming industries, emphasizing the strategic importance of partnerships in unlocking new business models and value vectors.
The Role of a Chief Partner Officer in Driving Partnering Functions
Establishing a partnering function within organizations is essential as it influences various aspects such as revenue recognition, tax positions, cybersecurity, and product engineering. The Chief Partner Officer role should be embedded as an integral function, not just a bolt-on, to oversee and optimize partnering processes across different internal functions. This approach ensures that partnering impacts every level of the organization, from finance and marketing to product strategy, enabling comprehensive value creation and efficient business operations.
Shifting Perspectives on Partnering: From Channel Models to Ecosystem Value Creation
The evolution from traditional channel models to partner ecosystems signifies a shift towards value creation and shared success rather than transactional relationships. By focusing on orchestrating outcomes, leveraging diverse partners, and co-investing in unique assets, organizations can create differentiated value propositions for clients. Partner ecosystems allow companies to bridge expertise, resources, and capabilities to address complex client needs, foster innovation, and drive sustainable growth in a rapidly changing business landscape.
Strategic Partnering as a Core Competency
Strategic partnering is highlighted as a crucial function that should be integrated as an essential element in an organization's operations rather than a mere add-on. The need for a paradigm shift towards embracing an abundance economics mindset and understanding the significance of capital allocation beyond in-house resources is stressed. The transition to a holistic approach in partnering involves recognizing partnering as a key driver of value creation and revenue generation. By elevating partnering to a primary function at the C-suite level, companies can navigate the complexities of multi-directional operations and focus on key revenue-generating motions.
Attributes of a Chief Partner Officer
The role of a Chief Partner Officer demands a distinctive skill set, blending core commercial acumen with financial expertise, go-to-market strategies, product knowledge, and orchestration capabilities. A Chief Partner Officer is tasked with influencing cross-functional teams without overstepping boundaries, driving collaboration for effective capital allocation and strategic decision-making. The role necessitates operational proficiency to streamline intercompany processes and optimize partner operations efficiency. Creating an environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, and value creation emerges as a fundamental aspect of successful partnering initiatives.
n this episode, Greg Sarafin, Global Managing Partner—Alliance Ecosystem at EY, joins us to explore the pivotal role of the Chief Partner Officers, his career progression, and the dynamics of successful partnership and organizational leadership.
Discover how Greg oversees EY's Alliance Partner Ecosystem, driving substantial growth and impact. He has contributed a staggering 40% to EY's growth over the past six years, creating billions in revenue. With insights from his extensive experience, including leadership roles at IBM and BearingPoint, Greg shares invaluable perspectives on strategic partnerships, technology implementation, and leadership skills essential for C-suite roles.
Learn firsthand about the intersection of technology, business, and partnerships as Greg discusses the tech industry's influence on GDP growth, AI value creation, and business process reengineering. Gain actionable insights into partner operations, cost management, and the profound impact of partnering functions on organizational success.
Tune in to uncover the secrets of effective partnering, leadership, and capital allocation in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. Don't miss this enlightening conversation with Greg Sarafin, a seasoned leader with a wealth of experience in driving impactful partnerships and organizational growth.
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