Edison in the Boardroom: How Leading Companies Realize Value from Their Intellectual Assets

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

AS ANY AUTHOR can attest, a book is the result of a complex and interacting set of activities. Good ideas have many parents, and that was certainly the case with Edison in the Boardroom. The authors openly acknowledge that this book is the result of collaboration with a number of people who provided the inspiration, guidance, support, and ideas that have made this book possible. For these people we are deeply grateful. While we brought the original framework of ideas to the endeavor, the executives who donated their time, stories, and words of wisdom have enlivened and animated the bare bones with which we started.

We are particularly indebted to the corporate executives and thought leaders who made these contributions: Margaret Blair, Fred Boehm, Bob Bramson, Tom Colson, John Cronin, Joe Daniele, Steve Fox, Henry Fradkin, Bill Frank, Paul Germeraad, Rick Gross, Bob Gruetzmacher, David Kline, Bob McCall, Rob McLean, David Near, Sharon Oriel, Jim O'Shaughnessy, Jan-Erik Osterholm, Mark Radcliffe, John Raley, Jane Robbins, Jerry Rosenthal, Paul Rothweiler, Randy Stauffer, Bruce Story, Bill Swirsky, Graham Taylor, Elizabeth Thom, Tony Torres, Joe Villella, Lanny Vincent, Jeff Weedman, and Barry Young.

We are also very appreciative of our many clients who have challenged our thinking and forced us to articulate the concepts that have become the subject of this book. Other friends, including Rob Pressman and Michael Smythe, have also contributed to our thinking.

Edison ...