CHICAGO, IL - October 17, 2006 - The Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) announced today that it has elected Debbie Clasen, Cisco Systems, as president of its Chicago/Midwest chapter for a one-year term. The ASAP Chicago/Midwest chapter has also set its agenda for the 2006-2007 program.
Ms. Clasen brings a wealth of alliance building experience. She joined Cisco in April, 2005 and leads business development and strategic planning for Cisco's Mobility Alliances Group. She received her MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and her BSEE from the University of Pennsylvania Moore School of Electrical Engineering. Ms. Clasen succeeds Philip York of The Business Partner Network, as president of the ASAP Chicago/Midwest chapter.
"Strategic Alliances are an important driver of corporate growth and innovation." said Ms. Clasen. "We want to provide a dynamic forum for alliance professionals across industries to learn from each other to capture the value in collaborative relationships" The ASAP Chicago/Midwest chapter program for 2006-2007 will focus on delivering members with access to alliance best practices and a series of interesting market-specific programs. Upcoming programs include, "Scaling the Chinese Wall: Building Alliances with Companies in China," a panel discussion covering cultural, political, and legal considerations on October 19, 2006; and "Market Making Alliances: Structuring Big Deals to Shape a Market," featuring case studies from the Bio/Pharma and IT industries, on December 7, 2006. Events are typically held in the evening, starting with hors d'ouvres and networking followed by a panel discussion. This year the program venue will alternate between downtown Chicago and suburban locations. For details, or to register to attend, please visit the ASAP web site at http://www.strategic-alliances.org/chapter/chicago.
Debbie Clasen is joined on the board of directors for the Chicago/Midwest chapter by the following 2006-2007 Board and Committee Members:
Marketing and Programs Chair: Barbra Sheridan, Accenture
Sponsorship Chair: David Pilgrim, BEA Systems
Treasurer: Sean Sexton, Secured Tax Exchange, LLC
Secretary: Shawn Stahmer
Marketing and Programs Committee members include Anthony Mace, IBM; Bill Davidson, AllianceAnalytics LLC; Deniz Razon, Abbott; Derek Small, Semafore Pharmaceuticals; Patrick Tabor, CA, Inc. (formerly known as Computer Associates International, Inc); and Sherman Whitfield, Eli Lilly.
About ASAP
The Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP), headquartered in Massachusetts, is the leading global professional association dedicated to alliance formation and practice. ASAP provides a forum to exchange alliance best practices, resources and opportunities as well as offer products that enable members to harness alliances as growth engines to drive corporate performance. ASAP membership includes executives and professionals from Fortune 1000 as well as small and medium sized enterprises throughout the world. To find out more information please visit its website - www.strategic-alliances.org
