Burton Alper

Bio

I help people articulate their ideas more efficiently and more effectively.

My clients are typically C-Suite executives preparing for high-stakes and/or high-profile presentations. I’ve counseled entrepreneurs on fundraising pitches and IPO roadshows. I’ve helped seasoned CEOs prepare for board presentations and keynote addresses. I’ve worked with senior teams on internal communications and meeting management. 

Key clients include IDEO, Hall Capital, Sofinnova Ventures, Nokia Growth Partners, Tea Collection and many others. I’ve helped these clients craft the right messages for their desired audiences and deliver those messages in terms the audience will understand and remember. It’s usually a mix of storytelling, slide content and delivery coaching. 

Specific areas of expertise include executive communications and presentation coaching, content strategy, business development, brand strategy, and positioning and messaging development. 

In a past life, I spent 15 years working on branding projects with clients ranging from start-ups (Asana, Vudu, Livescribe) to blue-chips (Wells Fargo, Spalding, P&G, Palm). I’ve also worked on internal communications projects for Dell and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Academic Degrees

• MBA, Harvard Business School, 1998
• BA, Psycholinguistics, Swarthmore College, 1991

Academic Appointments

• Lecturer, Stanford GSB

Professional Experience

• Founder, Burton Alper Consulting, 2012-present
• Strategist, Embarcadero Partners, 2011-12
• Consultant, brand Communications, Autodesk, 2010-11
• Founding Partner, Business Development & Strategy, Catchword Branding, 1998-2009
• Strategy Director, Master-McNeil, 1992-98

Teaching

Degree Courses

2017-18

GSBGEN 315: Strategic Communication

Business leaders have marketing strategies, expansion strategies, finance strategies, even exit strategies. Successful leaders, however, also have communication strategies. This course will explore how individuals and organizations can develop...

2016-17

GSBGEN 315: Strategic Communication

Business leaders have marketing strategies, expansion strategies, finance strategies, even exit strategies. Successful leaders, however, also have communication strategies. This course will explore how individuals and organizations can develop...