by Michael Brinkmann | Feb. 19, 2025 | Blogpost, work
Creating additional value for companies has always been my passion. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently looked for ways to turn 1+1 into 3—identifying opportunities where partnerships don’t just add value but multiply it exponentially.
This mindset led me to specialize in strategic alliances, where the right collaborations unlock new capabilities, drive innovation, and create scalable success. For businesses looking to expand market reach, gain competitive advantages, or optimize operations, strategic alliances offer a smarter, more agile alternative to traditional growth models. The challenge? Aligning strategy, culture, and execution to fully capture the alliance’s potential. This is where experience, insight, and a proven track record in crafting high-impact partnerships make all the difference.
Why Strategic Alliances Are the Future of Business
In today’s hyper-competitive and rapidly evolving market, no company can thrive in isolation. Organizations seeking growth, innovation, and efficiency can no longer rely solely on organic expansion or acquisitions. Instead, partnering with the right companies accelerates market entry, unlocks new technologies, and enhances customer experiences.Successful alliances allow companies to:Reduce Risk – Share financial, operational, and market risks, especially in high-stakes industries such as fintech, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace.Optimize Costs – Achieve economies of scale and lower overheads through shared resources and investments. Expand Globally – Enter new markets rapidly by leveraging local expertise and established infrastructures. Enhance Products & Services – Integrate complementary technologies to differentiate offerings and create new value propositions.Accelerate Innovation – Combine R&D efforts, leading to faster commercialization of breakthrough solutions.
Real-World Impact: Strategic Alliances That Changed the Game
The world’s most successful companies aren’t just competing—they’re collaborating:
-
Apple & IBM – Enterprise mobility solutions, merging Apple’s consumer tech with IBM’s enterprise expertise.
-
Google & Samsung – AI-driven applications and device interoperability, strengthening both brands.
-
Starbucks & PepsiCo – Global expansion of Starbucks’ ready-to-drink coffee.
-
Red Bull & GoPro – A marketing and content powerhouse, capturing extreme sports and adventure moments.
-
T-Mobile & Taco Bell – An innovative brand collaboration rewarding customers with exclusive perks.
-
Heinz & Absolut Vodka – A creative product collaboration delivering a unique, high-impact marketing moment. I love it !
These alliances weren’t accidental—they were the result of strategic thinking, industry foresight, and expert execution.
Navigating the Alliance Landscape: Why Experience Matters
Designing high-value partnerships requires more than just good intentions. It takes a deep understanding of market dynamics, strategic fit, and operational alignment to ensure partnerships deliver their full potential. With extensive experience in partner management, marketing, and strategic sales, I help companies:🔹 Identify high-impact partnership opportunities 🔹 Structure alliances for long-term success 🔹 Align business goals, culture, and execution 🔹 Negotiate and optimize collaborative agreements 🔹 Turn ideas into action—transforming partnerships into growth engines
The Future is Collaborative—Are You Ready?
In an era where partnerships define market leadership, the right alliance can be the key to unlocking unprecedented growth and innovation.So, the real question is: Are you leveraging strategic alliances to their full potential?If you’re ready to explore high-impact collaborations that drive tangible business results, let’s connect. Opportunities don’t wait—let’s unlock new potential together.
by Michael Brinkmann | Dez. 11, 2024 | Blogpost, Artificial Inteligence, Artificial Intelligence, Technology
Horizontale versus Vertikale künstliche Intelligenz und deren Einfluss auf Unternehmen der Zukunft
Die KI-Revolution ist keine ferne Vision mehr, sondern prägt bereits heute unser Leben und Arbeiten. Zwei zentrale Konzepte stehen dabei im Fokus: die vertikale und die horizontale KI. Während die vertikale KI durch ihre branchenspezifische Spezialisierung punktet, entwickelt sich die horizontale KI zunehmend zu einer grundlegenden Technologie – einem unverzichtbaren Layer, der bald genauso selbstverständlich für jedes Unternehmen sein wird wie Strom oder Logistik.
[ez-toc]
Vertikale KI: Spezialisiert und leistungsstark
Vertikale KI entfaltet ihre Stärke in spezifischen Anwendungsbereichen. Beispiele sind KI-Algorithmen in der medizinischen Diagnostik, die mit beeindruckender Präzision Anomalien erkennen, oder Systeme, die im Finanzsektor Betrugsmuster analysieren. Diese Lösungen adressieren gezielt die Anforderungen einzelner Branchen und revolutionieren dort die Effizienz und Entscheidungsfindung.
Horizontale KI: Die universelle Basis
Im Gegensatz dazu nimmt horizontale KI eine universelle Rolle ein, die funktionsübergreifend und branchenunabhängig ist. Mit Anwendungen wie natürlicher Sprachverarbeitung, prädiktiver Analytik und Computervision agiert sie als technologisches Rückgrat moderner Unternehmen. Diese KI-Schicht integriert sich nahtlos in unterschiedlichste Geschäftsbereiche und wird dadurch zu einem unverzichtbaren Bestandteil jedes Unternehmensbetriebs.
In absehbarer Zukunft wird horizontale KI eine ebenso essenzielle Infrastruktur darstellen wie Elektrizität oder die Lagerung von Waren. So wie Strom die industrielle Revolution vorantrieb, bildet horizontale KI den Motor für die digitale Transformation. Sie ermöglicht nicht nur Automatisierung und Effizienzsteigerung, sondern schafft auch die Grundlage für innovative Geschäftsmodelle und datengetriebene Entscheidungen. Unternehmen, die sich diesem Wandel nicht anpassen, laufen Gefahr, im Wettbewerb zurückzufallen.
Die Konvergenz von vertikaler und horizontaler KI
Besonders spannend wird die Interaktion zwischen vertikaler und horizontaler KI. Während vertikale KI branchenspezifische Herausforderungen löst, schafft horizontale KI die Infrastruktur, um diese spezialisierten Systeme effizient einzubinden und zu skalieren. Ein Beispiel ist der Gesundheitssektor: Ein vertikales KI-System könnte spezifische Diagnosen und Behandlungsempfehlungen liefern, während ein horizontales KI-System die reibungslose Kommunikation, die Verwaltung von Patientenakten und die Terminplanung übernimmt.
Herausforderungen und Zukunftsperspektiven
Trotz aller Potenziale gibt es Herausforderungen, die es zu bewältigen gilt. Datenschutz, algorithmische Voreingenommenheit und die Auswirkungen auf den Arbeitsmarkt erfordern klare Governance-Strukturen und ethische Leitlinien. Gleichzeitig wird der Wettbewerb um KI-Talente zunehmen, und Unternehmen müssen in die Schulung ihrer Mitarbeiter investieren, um die neuen Technologien effektiv nutzen zu können.
Die horizontale KI wird dabei eine zentrale Rolle spielen: Sie wird nicht nur Unternehmen, sondern ganze Branchen durchdringen und transformieren. Von der Automatisierung standardisierter Prozesse bis zur Schaffung neuer Möglichkeiten für Zusammenarbeit und Innovation – sie wird zur unsichtbaren, aber unverzichtbaren Grundlage moderner Geschäftstätigkeit.
Fazit
Die horizontale KI ist auf dem Weg, der universelle Layer der Geschäftswelt zu werden, so selbstverständlich wie Strom oder Internet. In Kombination mit der vertikalen KI entstehen transformative Möglichkeiten, die Unternehmen zukunftssicher machen und globale Herausforderungen adressieren können. Die Frage ist nicht mehr, ob KI die Geschäftswelt verändert, sondern wie schnell Unternehmen diese unverzichtbare Ressource integrieren und für ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit nutzen. Die Zukunft gehört denen, die die Potenziale von KI jetzt strategisch einsetzen.
Quellen :https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/de/article/20200918STO87404/kunstliche-intelligenz-chancen-und-risiken
by Michael Brinkmann | Juli 23, 2024 | Blogpost, daily Lifestyle
My personal update
As many of you know, I stepped down from my position as Managing Director in 2023. After years of dedication to major projects and hard work, I decided it was time to take a much-needed break. This break has been incredibly rejuvenating, allowing me to spend more time with family, explore new hobbies, and reflect on my journey so far.
Now, as we enter the second half of 2024, I am excited to share that I am gearing up for some thrilling new projects. One of these projects is particularly close to my heart: the revitalization of Trustfund (working title). Trustfund has always been a visionary initiative aimed at developing strategic alliances and partnerships between complementary companies and structures to leverage value. I believe there is immense untapped potential in this space, and I am eager to breathe new life into this longstanding project. Our goal is to foster collaborations that drive innovation, growth, and mutual success for all involved.
In addition to Trustfund, I am also embarking on a new venture in the food industry. This project is still in its early stages, but I can promise you it will be delicious. Food has always been a passion of mine, and I am excited to create something that brings joy and satisfaction to people’s lives through culinary excellence. Stay tuned for more details as this project unfolds.
by Michael Brinkmann | Juli 3, 2024 | work, B2B Payments, Blogpost
How to Ride the B2B Payments Innovation Wave
Great read: Special Thanks to PYMNTS | JULY 2, 2024
B2B payments power trillions of dollars in annual payments flows. Much of those flows are handled via checks and other traditional processes that are riddled with pain points, redundancies and sunk time and costs. All these factors can lead to longer DSO (days sales outstanding), adversely affecting firms’ financial health.That’s why, with the news Monday (July 1) that accounts payable (AP) automation and procurement solutions provider Basware has integrated with Amazon Business to streamline purchasing and procurement for business customers, capturing the white space opportunity B2B digitization represents is top of mind for forward-thinking companies. The digital transformation of the B2B landscape is only accelerating. More businesses are moving away from paper checks and manual processes toward electronic payment methods. In order to compete effectively against this evolving backdrop, firms will need to assess their own AP and accounts receivable (AR) needs, as well as those of their current and would-be partners. Businesses that embrace this change and are able to stay ahead of the wave of digital innovation shaping the B2B landscape — particularly the AP and AR function — will be those best positioned to succeed in the future.
Escaping the Reliance on Legacy B2B Payment Methods
The traditional B2B payment process, often characterized by mechanisms like paper checks and manual invoicing, is fraught with inefficiencies. It involves time-consuming tasks such as data entry, error reconciliation and physical mailing, and leaves firms at a disadvantage when it comes to meeting evolving business partner expectations around greater efficiency, convenience and security.
PYMNTS Intelligence in “Getting Paid: Digital Payments for Improving Cash Flow and Customer Experience” found that 79% of B2B suppliers want to receive digital payments, including wire, automated clearing house (ACH) and virtual cards. Faster payment processing is not the only impetus, either: 76% of firms believe that buyers are likelier to pay on time when they pay electronically.Crucially, electronic payments provide businesses with real-time visibility into their cash flow. This transparency allows for more accurate forecasting and better financial planning.
“It’s not just the visibility, it’s the real-time visibility and being able to take that data and transact and make decisions based on that data in real time,” Ari Widlansky, managing director and U.S. chief operating officer at Esker, told PYMNTS. “This is where you can unlock value across the entire invoice-to-cash experience.” Automated payment systems can also streamline cash flow management by ensuring timely payments and reducing the risk of late fees or missed payments. This agility is crucial in a competitive market where the ability to quickly adapt to changing financial conditions can be a significant advantage.
Embracing Digital Transformation’s Acceleration Across B2B Payments
The digital payment landscape is continuously evolving, driven by technological advancements and changing business needs. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses must embrace a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation. This involves regularly reviewing and updating payment processes, staying informed about emerging technologies and being open to adopting new solutions that offer greater efficiency and security.
Businesses must also engage with their partners to understand their payment preferences and capabilities. WEX Chief Strategy Officer Jay Dearborn told PYMNTS in May that bringing B2B payments fully into the digital age needs a global platform with three elements — payments, data and software — working concurrently to help simplify commercial transactions. “The network of buyers and sellers is incredibly complex,” Dearborn said. “When I think about modernization, I’m always trying to think about our largest customers and our smallest customers. What are the use cases that payments will help them unlock, creating more ease in the way that they do their business?”To facilitate seamless transactions, businesses should consider adopting common payment platforms that are widely accepted by their partners. Standardizing on platforms that support multiple payment methods, including ACH, wire transfers and virtual cards, can simplify transactions and enhance interoperability.“The suppliers that are not as flexible and willing to embrace these new forms of payments are going to lose business, while the buyers who are not using them are losing revenue, which results in them not being as competitive in their space,” ConnexPay founder and CEO Bob Kaufman told PYMNTS in March. Strategically embracing the current wave of B2B innovation will not only future-proof businesses but also help position them for sustained growth and success.
