Asher Mathew: Elevating the Partnership Profession Worldwide

In this Inside Partnering episode, I sit down with Asher Mathew, CEO and Co-Founder of Partnership Leaders, at my home in Belmont, CA. We talk about the origin of PL, its growth to 2,200 members across 70+ countries, and how it has become a global hub for partner professionals. Asher shares advice for new partnership leaders, insights on the rise of the Chief Partner Officer role, and why internal advocacy is as important as partner advocacy. If you lead partnerships — or want to — this is a must-watch conversation packed with actionable lessons.Chapters00:00 – No glory in signing up for the wrong number00:25 – Inside Partnering kicks off01:24 – Touring the world together02:01 – How Partnership Leaders began04:26 – From email list to Slack to community06:00 – Growth to 2,200 members in 70+ countries06:43 – Why PL is more than a community07:21 – Advice for new partner leaders09:16 – Rise of the Chief Partner Officer12:00 – Assessing organizational maturity14:52 – Identifying the ideal partner profile16:40 – From pilots to programs17:42 – Don’t commit to a number without evidence19:18 – Internal advocacy as a success driver21:20 – Top challenges facing partner leaders today25:17 – Organizational design for partner success27:24 – AI in partnerships27:46 – Catalyst Summits and global events34:33 – Looking ahead for Partnership Leaders37:00 – Reflections and gratitudeKey TakeawaysStart by assessing readiness – Use a maturity model to understand your company’s partnership capability before committing.Define your ideal partner profile – Avoid the “spray and pray” approach; focus on one partner type first.Internal advocacy is critical – Programatize communication to executives so partnerships stay visible and resourced.The CPO role is growing – Chief Partner Officer is becoming a recognized executive seat with budget and authority.Community + content = impact – PL combines networking, events, research, and advisory to elevate the profession.Key Quotes“There’s no glory in signing up for a number if the infrastructure isn’t ready.”“Our hero is the partnership leader — everything we build is for them.”“Internal advocacy should be as programmatic as external partner advocacy.”“Start with observation and assessment before making bold moves.”Final ThoughtsThis episode is for partnership leaders, partner marketers, partner success managers, and anyone building partner strategy inside a company. Asher’s journey from a small email group to a global network offers lessons in community building, leadership, and operational excellence in the partner world.#Partnerships #PartnerEcosystem #PartnershipLeaders #ChannelPartners #BusinessDevelopment #PartnerMarketing #Ecosystem #B2BPartnerships #InsidePartnering #ChiefPartnerOfficer This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com