An army of one: leading alliance management in a lean model to drive strategic impact
By Edita Freeman
At our company, a manufacturer of wearable, large-volume subcutaneous devices working with big and small pharma, I lead the alliance management function. It is a lean model, and I am at the center of it. As the director of alliance management, I am responsible for shaping the strategy and overseeing the execution across our partnerships.
Sure, a lean model has its challenges, but it also offers strategic advantages. Overtime, I’ve learned how to leverage this role to drive impact and enable both internal teams and partners to succeed.
The mission
The way I see it, my mission is four fold:
1) to represent the partnership, internally and externally
2) to translate partner perspectives to internal teams to avoid unnecessary escalations
3) to communicate the alliance’s purpose and shared value
4) to act as a neutral “voice of reason”
In service to this mission, I approach every interaction as an opportunity to offer clarity, reduce friction, and help people move forward. Often, I can help resolve partner issues before they reach the boiling point or require escalation. The more effectively I manage these moments, the more I can highlight the value of alliance management and deliver greater efficiency to the partnership.
Building trust, one relationship at a time
Trust is essential in alliance work. I strive to represent my company faithfully while advocating for the partnership. It is a fine line that requires building relationships, honoring commitments, and earning trust on both sides.
One way I build trust is by presenting a table of outstanding issues during contract or amendment discussions. It helps frame both parties’ priorities. I may also share sensitive internal context deliberately and selectively, to foster reciprocal openness. These conversations help me guide internal teams: “Here’s what the partner’s worried about and why” or “Here’s how we can support them.” That is how we align and set the foundation for long-term success.
Copy, paste, and adapt
Managing a portfolio of partnerships requires more than good intentions: It takes smart structure. Obviously, the more alliances in your portfolio, the more support is needed. I am not discouraging adding headcount when it’s necessary. However, we have developed processes, templates, and repeatable tools that allow me to respond quickly without reinventing the wheel or adding more overhead to the organization. I call it the “copy, paste, adapt” approach.
Each alliance teaches lessons I apply across partnerships, adapting as needed. For example, I recently created a conflict resolution framework based on my own experience and co-developed it with a counterpart, then adapted it to accelerate clarity with another partner. These systems not only improve efficiency but also preserve institutional knowledge and reduce onboarding friction, especially important in lean models.
In some larger organizations, these very systems put in place can end up working against you instead of working for you. I feel fortunate to work in a small and flexible enough organization to allow me the freedom to do what’s best for our business and our partners.
Mirror, mirror: how am I doing?
While good practices and processes are important, in the end, successful alliances come down to how we show up. The best alliances come from the heart, with a focus on doing what’s right for the partnership. I aim to close each day confident that I showed up with integrity, for both colleagues and partners.
That’s my internal compass. It guides how I show up in every alliance interaction, and any business situation, for that matter. In the end, all you can do is assume people have good intent and exercise your own best efforts. It helps in how you approach issues and keep everyone aligned.
Set your organization and yourself up for success
Whether leading a team or operating in a lean model, the goal is the same: strong relationships, scalable systems, and ongoing learning. If you have the opportunity to align with your counterpart on streamlining processes, take it. Often, we get sucked into just putting out fires and being reactive. Look at it from a strategic standpoint: What can make the situation not just manageable, but functioning almost flawlessly, with minimum intervention? Document what works. Create systems for continuity for yourself and your successor. (I joke with my boss that if I win the lottery and someone new takes over, they can pick up where I left off without any questions.) This is how I translate daily alliance operations into lasting organizational value.
When trust is high and alignment is clear, you can anticipate issues, avoid unnecessary escalations, and help both organizations achieve the alliance objectives. You’re not just managing alliances, you’re strengthening them.
As alliances grow more complex, lean models like ours prove that partnership success isn’t about team size; it’s about clarity, trust, and adaptability. I believe in that and work to practice it daily.
Edita Freeman is the Director of Alliance Management at Enable Injections, Inc.
About the alliance leadership spotlight series
The alliance leadership spotlight series is a joint initiative of The Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) and allianceboard to share practical knowledge in the alliance management community. It showcases Alliance Management professionals taking the lead in addressing challenges and driving alliance success.
Visit our websites to read more on partnering and alliance management or let us know if you have a story to contribute by contacting us.
ASAP and allianceboard are long-standing partners combining state-of-the-art resources, best practices, and software to support ever-evolving collaboration models.