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Growth Through Smart Strategic Alliances

by | 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.

How to Ride the B2B Payments Innovation Wave

by | 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.

 

News zur ADAC Kreditkarte

by | Feb. 16, 2024 | Blogpost, Card Issuing, Card Organizations

ADAC Kreditkarte: Solarisbank übernimmt im dritten Quartal 2024
Quelle: mobiFlip von Rene Hesse vom 15.02.2024

Gewiss wird mit großem Engagement von allen Beteiligten daran gearbeitet, dieses äußerst komplexe Projekt zu einem Erfolg zu führen. Wenig überraschend und im Artikel bereits erwähnt, spielt neben der Reputation und Leistungsfähigkeit der beteiligten Banken und Servicepartner auch die Gewährleistung eines reibungslosen Übergangs, besonders für die Kunden der ADAC Kreditkarte eine wichtige Rolle. Die ADAC Finanzdienste GmbH und die Solarisbank AG arbeiten künftig beim Kreditkartenprogramm des ADAC zusammen. Das wurde bereits im Jahr 2022 verkündet. Dann gab es erhebliche Verzögerungen und jetzt ist klar, wann es losgehen soll. Die Solarisbank übernimmt im dritten Quartal 2024 die technischen Prozesse und löst damit die Landesbank Berlin (LBB) als Herausgeber der ADAC Kreditkarte ab.

Bis zur technischen Migration in diesem Quartal läuft die Partnerschaft mit der LBB weiter, alle Leistungen stehen den Kreditkarteninhabern weiterhin uneingeschränkt zur Verfügung.ADAC Kreditkartenportfolio wird weiterentwickelt. Der Vorstand der ADAC SE, Mahbod Asgari, betont, dass die Kooperation mit der Solarisbank die Möglichkeit bietet, das Kreditkartenportfolio weiterzuentwickeln und den Bedürfnissen der bestehenden Kunden Rechnung zu tragen. Die Plattform des neuen Partners ermöglicht es, die bestehenden Services für die ADAC-Mitglieder fortzuführen und das Leistungsspektrum zu erweitern. Die Migration auf Solaris wird nahtlos und sorgfältig vorbereitet, um einen reibungslosen Übergang zu gewährleisten, heißt es.
In der Übergangszeit bis zur technischen Umstellung besteht für die bisherigen Nutzer der ADAC Kreditkarte kein Handlungsbedarf. Die Kreditkarten können weiterhin genutzt werden und alle Leistungen wie Tankrabatte und Versicherungsleistungen

Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2024

by | Dez. 22, 2023 | Blogpost, daily Lifestyle, Events

🎄✨Merry Christmas & a happy new year 2024🥂 Dear friends, I wish you a holiday full of joy, health and laughter! Thank you for a fantastic year. I hope to see you all safe and sound in the new year. Here’s to a great new year 2024! Best regards, Michael __ Liebe Freunde, ich wünsche euch ein Fest voller Freude, Gesundheit und Gelächter! Vielen Dank für ein fantastisches Jahr. Ich hoffe, dass wir uns alle gesund und munter im neuen Jahr wiedersehen. Auf ein großartiges neues Jahr 2024! Herzliche Grüße, Euer Michael  

Contis joins forces with Mastercard as principal issuing member in Europe

by | Dez. 17, 2020 | Blogpost, Card Issuing, Card Organizations

A new issuer on the block

Leading European payments fintech Contis today announced its partnership with Mastercard as a principal issuing member. Through this partnership, Contis delivers a comprehensive end-to-end Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform including direct access to both of the world’s leading payments networks, accepted by millions of merchants worldwide.

The addition of Mastercard represents another step in Contis Group’s growth as a global issuer and card processor. Throughout 2020, Contis delivered against key milestones in its planned expansion, including securing full Brexit readiness by moving its entire EEA client-base to its European entity and migrating a million customers to new cloud-native data centres in London and Amsterdam. Contis has also added key functionality to the platform including open banking, international currency conversion, cardless cash delivery and request to pay capabilities which, when linked to its UK and SEPA payment accounts, delivers the most comprehensive end-to-end BaaS solution. With Mastercard’s significant presence across the EEA and collaborative approach to fintech, Contis will further embed itself into Europe’s critical financial infrastructure.

This new partnership will enable Contis to bring greater choice to the market and supplement the range of products and services offered in key commercial verticals including banking, fintech, insurance and corporate remittance.

Mastercard is the partner of choice for new and existing fintechs across Europe, enabling them to scale at speed. Mastercard’s overarching fintech platform – Mastercard Accelerate –  gives start-ups and emerging brands support and assistance for every stage of their growth and transformation, from market entry to global expansion. Mastercard Accelerate is comprised of four main programmes: Fintech Express, Start Path, Engage and Developers.

Peter Cox, Executive Chairman and Founder at Contis Group said: “Contis delivers Europe’s most comprehensive payments BaaS platform. We see this partnership with Mastercard as an important step on our journey to becoming a leading global issuer and processor. It will enable us to augment our offering for prospects and clients by bringing more choice to the market, as we deliver secure frictionless payments to businesses and individuals across Europe and beyond.”

Scott Abrahams, Senior Vice President. Business Development and Fintech commented: “At Mastercard we are proud of our track record with Fintechs across Europe, helping them to rise to the next level by sharing our considerable industry expertise, technology and global standards. We are delighted to be working with Contis to bring greater choice and value to consumers and businesses by delivering frictionless experiences and ongoing innovation.”

Platform integration work is starting immediately, with expected go-live on the Mastercard network by Q2 2021.

For more information and interviews please contact: uche.graves@contis.com.

About Contis 

Contis is transforming payments, issuing and processing. We help corporates, banks, fintechs and insurers unleash their true potential using our proven BaaS capabilities. Founded in 2008 by Peter Cox, Contis provides award winning, secure, cloud-based, real-time payment solutions. We enable our clients to deliver next-generation multi-currency accounts, cards and apps to their customers. One of the FT1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2018, 2019 and 2020. We have offices in the UK, Lithuania and India. Contis benefits from a full licence suite, including FCA and Bank of Lithuania eMoney Licences which cover the EEA, and a full UK consumer credit licence. Contis is a Principal Visa and Mastercard member with full sponsorship and processing capability.

For further information, visit: www.contis.com,

 

Opportunities and Challenges in Commerce during COVID

by | Dez. 11, 2020 | Blogpost, eCommerce

Opportunities and Challenges in Commerce during COVID

The Department of Health and Human Services has reportedly signed on many supermarket and pharmacy chains to provide coronavirus vaccines once the inoculations get the green light. In eCommerce, Amazon’s third-party merchants are worried they won’t be able to satisfy holiday demand due to restrictions on the volume of inventory the firm can keep in its facilities. And in banking, financial institutions can incorporate artificial intelligence into their consumer credit strategies at a time when a retroactive approach to credit risk management has become less feasible amid COVID-19. All this, Today in Data.

$189B: Amount that U.S. shoppers are expected to spend online in November and December.

80%: Share of banking interactions done online in 2020.

55%: Average reduction in false positives observed by banks that use AI to fight fraud.

48.8%: Portion of consumers who require a vaccine before returning to their routines.

12: Number of months in advance AI systems can detect potentially fraudulent activity.

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