Negotiating Without Authority: Leading through Influence in High-Stakes Transformations

The most important negotiations in organizations rarely happen across a conference table; they happen every day as leaders align stakeholders with competing priorities, incentives, and perspectives. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience leading global transformations, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity initiatives, Ashish Malviya will share practical frameworks for influencing decisions when formal authority is limited. Through real-world case studies and lessons learned from complex business environments, participants will explore how trust, stakeholder alignment, and strategic communication can be used to navigate conflict, build consensus, and lead meaningful change. Attendees will leave with actionable approaches they can immediately apply in their own leadership and negotiation challenges.

Speakers:

• Rodney Erb, NECR Lecturer (moderator)
• Ashish Malviya, Mergers & Acquisitions Tech Leader

Ashish Malviya is a technology executive, educator, and advisor with nearly 20 years of experience leading enterprise transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and digital strategy for Fortune 100 companies and private equity portfolio organizations. He currently serves as managing director at Aberdeen Advisors, where he advises executive teams and investors on technology strategy, operational transformation, and value creation.

In addition to his industry leadership, Ashish teaches technology strategy and data-driven decision-making courses at the University of Washington Information School. His work sits at the intersection of leadership, negotiation, and organizational change, with a focus on helping leaders build alignment across diverse stakeholders, influence without authority, and deliver complex business outcomes. Ashish is also a member of the AP® Development Committee for the College Board, contributing to the development of the next generation of practical education.