More companies than ever before are coming to understand the business advantages that arise from an ability to leverage rights portfolios to extract maximum value from them – whether this be in the form of increased licensing revenues, improved alignment with overall business goals, more focused internal R&D, enhanced collaboration and more open innovation programmes, better marketing returns and so on. To do this as effectively as possible, they need the advice of people who know the business of intellectual property inside out, as well as the opportunities that it presents. Our belief is that a one-stop source of information that identifies such people is a valuable business resource – and given the reaction to last year’s first edition, it looks like we are right.

The IAM Strategy 250 identifies individuals who offer world-class services related to the development and implementation of strategies which enable IP owners to maximise the value of their rights portfolios. World-class IP strategists do not see IP from just one perspective; instead, they possess a fully rounded approach to management and value creation, and focus on how both must be aligned to overall business strategy. The best IP strategists look beyond monetisation to understand the range of value-creation options available to rights owners. They know how these can be applied to the circumstances of individual businesses. If need be, they can develop new solutions to deal with very specific sets of circumstances. Many people call themselves IP strategists; far fewer can devise game-changing plans and then deliver on them. Those who can, however, are worth their weight in gold.

Because the IAM Strategy 250 is a guide designed for senior executives working inside IPowning organisations, we decided that to qualify for inclusion, an individual could not be employed by an operating company – even though there are many excellent IP strategists in the corporate world. All other individuals working in IP-related professions are eligible.

For the 2010 edition, we worked on the assumption that everyone who appeared in last year’s publication should be listed once again. Our thinking was that you are unlikely to be a world-class IP strategist one year and then cease to be so the next. However, we did contact all the relevant individuals in order to confirm that they continue to work in the IP strategy space. Some no longer do and so were removed; others did not respond and so we took their names out too.

In addition, however, we asked everyone listed in 2009 to propose other names which they felt merited inclusion. Once nominees received a minimum of three recommendations from people outside their own organisation, we undertook an extensive research process to assess their claims. This involved telephone interviews, email exchanges and the scrutiny of references. Most nominees did not make it through; those that did are listed in the following pages. The selection procedure is always strictly applied because our overriding aim is to ensure that only those individuals who possess exceptional skill sets – as well as profound insights into the development, creation and management of IP value – feature in the IAM Strategy 250.

All individuals who made the final list, and who stated that they wished to be included, are featured in this publication. Although it is not possible to buy a place in the IAM Strategy 250, everyone was offered the opportunity to take out an enhanced biography for a fee. All enhanced biographies have been edited into IAM house style by our sub-editors – the content of the biographies, though, was supplied by the individuals concerned.

A detailed index at the end of the publication lists all the world’s leading IP strategists by areas of specialisation. Some of these are self-evident; others can be broken down into more detailed sub-categories. All the people featured in this guide were asked to identify which areas applied to them. However, it is not always the case that there are easy fits. Therefore, it is important to note that both the general areas and sub-categories are for guidance purposes only. They are not intended to provide definitive information and should not be used as if they do. If you wish to get a better understanding of what an individual in the IAM Strategy 250 does, it is strongly recommended that you contact that person directly.

In addition to the listing of leading IP strategists and the index, this year the IAM Strategy 250 includes overviews of a number of the sectors within the IP business market. These were written in-house and are based on interviews with a number of people listed in this publication. We are very grateful to them for their time and for the insights they provided.

It has been no small task putting together IAM Strategy 250 – The World’s Leading IP Strategists. But at the end of the process, I believe that what has emerged not only shines a spotlight on the whole field of IP strategy, but also provides important information on an area that is becoming increasingly important as time goes by.