Patrick Lagadec, Erwann O. Michel-Kerjan, and Ryan N. Ellis

Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization

In this paper, the authors focus on the new landscape of risks we all face today and on how strategic partnerships can be developed at the senior-executive level, domestically and internationally, to better prepare organizations to face such risks. Specifically, they describe an initiative, “Anthrax and Beyond,” that Lagadec and Michel-Kerjan organized in the wake of the Anthrax crisis of 2001. The initiative brought together top-level decision makers from postal operators, international postal organizations, and crisis management experts with one main goal: create trusted relationship, share experience and develop a global reaction capacity. In doing so, Lagadec et al. attempt to create a framework for addressing the new challenges posed by just-in-time operations within an interdependent world.