The Author

PETER D. JOHNSTON is a renowned negotiation expert and the bestselling author of Negotiating with Giants (non-fiction).  

He’s a pioneer in asymmetric negotiations, helping underdogs negotiate against the odds with giants who tower over them in size and clout. His folksy, concrete advice to smaller players―entrepreneurs, athletes, struggling organizations, embattled political leaders and individuals seeking change―is driven by his experiences with clients and research into the best practices of successful smaller players across hundreds of years. Johnston’s insights also come from his extensive work with giants, including governments, global institutions and some of the world’s largest corporations, including HSBC, IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Suez and Johnson & Johnson.

He quietly advises clients of all sizes on significant negotiations and conflicts; goes to the table as needed on their behalf; enhances the effectiveness of their organizations in negotiating both internally and externally; mediates disputes; and teaches tailored negotiation seminars. His ideas emphasize efforts away from the negotiation table that better position negotiators once they’re at the table. As Managing Director of NAI―a boutique consulting firm founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts―Johnston has coined the term integrated negotiation, an approach that builds value by seamlessly weaving together our core operating activities with our negotiation activities.
 

Some examples of Peter’s client engagements: helping a renowned gallery negotiate the return of stolen artwork; supporting the founders of two well-known companies—one a high-profile fashion group, the other a fast-casual restaurant chain—in negotiating the successful sale of their respective companies; advising a group of municipal leaders on a sustainable regional development and governance plan; leading a systematic review of a significant government-corporate relationship with a view to assessing and improving results; helping a wife and husband divorce in a way that would best meet their children’s needs and the needs of their fast-growing business; training the board of a large union in best negotiation practices and then counseling its executive on critical issues; mediating a rights dispute between a national government and its aboriginal people. 

Peter’s results have been formally recognized by the US Government for their positive economic and social impact, domestically and abroad. The early foundations for his distinct approaches to influence were formed by working closely with founders of the Harvard Negotiation Project, the Program on Negotiation and the Harvard Negotiation Roundtable. A former journalist and corporate & investment banker, he is a graduate of the Harvard Business School. Johnston is Canadian and divides his time between Canada and the US, as well as the East and West Coasts.  

He has appeared in media around the world, talking about his work and commenting on newsworthy negotiations, volatile conflicts, as well as influence issues related to the economy, politics and personal relationships. Among the dozens of news groups that have interviewed or quoted Johnston: CNN, ABC's “America This Morning,” FOX Business News, Oprah & Friends, US News & World Report, Business Week, Wired Magazine, The Globe and Mail, The National Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Weapons of Peace is Peter’s first novel, a negotiation thriller set in World War II and inspired by two true stories. 

To find out more about Peter and his work, please visit: www.nailimited.com.