Publications
Publications
- October 2016 (Revised January 2018)
- HBS Case Collection
BlackRock (A): Selling the Systems?
By: Ranjay Gulati, Jan W. Rivkin and Kelly McNamara
Abstract
As the case opens in 1999, several key leaders at BlackRock, Inc., then a relatively small asset management firm, are trying to convince CEO Larry Fink and others that the firm should begin to offer Aladdin—its proprietary analytics and trading platform—to other asset managers. While some members of the senior team see “selling our systems” as an opportunity, others liken it to “selling weapons to the enemy” or “giving away the crown jewels.” What should Fink do? The case provides an overview of the asset management industry, the beginnings of BlackRock, and details around the Aladdin platform.
Keywords
Strategy; Competition; Technology; Asset Management; Competitive Strategy; Financial Services Industry; United States
Citation
Gulati, Ranjay, Jan W. Rivkin, and Kelly McNamara. "BlackRock (A): Selling the Systems?" Harvard Business School Case 717-404, October 2016. (Revised January 2018.)