Latest Interviews
Showing 271–285 of 597 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs10 min
What’s the Outlook for Retirement Savers in 2021?
Despite 2020's asset recovery, corporate defined benefit plan funded ratios remain stagnant due to persistent low interest rates, though early 2021 rate hikes offer a potential pathway to improve liabilities. Institutional investors are shifting toward private markets and active management to target returns in a low-yield environment while utilizing liability hedging to optimize capital allocation. Simultaneously, defined contribution balances surged driven by professional management, prompting legislative efforts to expand coverage and strategic initiatives to convert accumulated assets into sustainable retirement income streams.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
The Evolution of the Online Food Delivery Industry
Goldman Sachs Research identifies online food delivery as a sector where pandemic-accelerated adoption has created sticky demand, driving a shift from pure food logistics to broader last-mile services through partnerships with retailers like Walmart and Macy's. While the industry faces labor supply shifts and regulatory costs regarding driver classification, market leaders are transitioning toward operational rationalization to escape hyper-competitive pricing models. This strategic evolution signals a maturation phase where companies aim to stabilize usage frequency and improve long-term profitability by scaling networks rather than relying on loss-leading customer acquisition.
- Goldman Sachs12 min
France’s Economic Environment for 2021
Recorded in January 2021, this discussion with Goldman Sachs executives forecasts a French GDP contraction of 8.5% to 9.2% for 2021, projecting a return to 2019 levels by 2022 contingent on pandemic management and supported by $130 billion in state-guaranteed loans. The dialogue details sector-specific resilience, noting that small businesses and the tech industry secured significant government aid while corporate M&A activity rose 8% despite lingering challenges in travel and hospitality. Additionally, the event highlights Goldman Sachs's strategic expansion in Paris, including a headcount doubling and a new office relocation in 2022 to serve as a hub for continental European clients and emerging IPO markets.
- Goldman Sachs9 min
The Cruise Line Industry: Staying Afloat During Crisis
Following a 2020 pandemic crisis that reduced industry revenue by up to 75%, cruise operators stabilized liquidity through $6 billion emergency financing, asset layups, and debt covenant restructurings. While regulators and the CDC develop rigorous safety protocols and modified dining standards to enable resumption, pent-up consumer demand remains high enough to fill vessels immediately upon approval. Analysts project a V-shaped economic recovery with full operational capacity returning by the second half of 2021, driven by investor confidence in a secular shift toward experiential consumption.
- Goldman Sachs16 min
Thomas Ricks, author of "First Principles" and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Author Thomas Ricks argues that the current U.S. government suffers from a structural weakness resembling the Articles of Confederation, creating a "democratic oligarchy" vulnerable to the dangerous alliance between the wealthy and the mob that he links to the January 6 insurrection. Drawing on the founders' Roman-inspired fears of corruption and factionalism, Ricks contends that modern social media and primary systems incentivize extremism while the Electoral College fails to adequately protect domestic tranquility or prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting racial divisions. Ultimately, the author warns that without acknowledging the Constitutional codification of slavery and the persistent backlash it triggers, the nation remains at significant risk from internal political terrorism and external geopolitical threats.
- Goldman Sachs8 min
China’s New Digital Currency Initiative
China's People's Bank of China is piloting the e-CNY, a centralized digital currency distributed through commercial banks to maintain monetary sovereignty against private payment rivals and international threats like Libra. While current trials in cities such as Shenzhen and plans for the 2022 Winter Olympics focus on domestic financial inclusion and transaction transparency, officials are implementing holding caps and interest restrictions to prevent banking disintermediation. Analysts predict that despite the infrastructure's potential to enhance policy transmission and reduce remittance costs, the e-CNY will not significantly disrupt the US dollar's global reserve status in the near future.
- Goldman Sachs14 min
Sasan Goodarzi, CEO of Intuit
Intuit CEO Sasan Ghadarzi announced a strategic pivot from a tax-centric provider to an AI-driven expert platform, highlighted by the Credit Karma acquisition and the integration of machine learning to automate financial workflows. This repositioning includes refreshing corporate values around customer obsession and courage while establishing an open ecosystem that hosts competitor applications like HubSpot to support small businesses. Concurrently, leadership emphasizes a constructive dissatisfaction with current performance through direct customer engagement and advocates for fiscal stimulus to stabilize the global economy dependent on the 50% of businesses that constitute small enterprises.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
Weijian Shan, Group Chairman and CEO of PAG
PAG Group, a $40 billion Asian-focused asset manager led by CEO Wei-Zhan Chan, distinguishes its portfolio by targeting domestic consumption sectors across China, India, and Southeast Asia while utilizing private equity buyouts. The firm successfully navigated the 2020 pandemic through immediate capital preservation and debt-light strategies, notably transforming a $100 million stake in Tencent Music Entertainment into a $2.5 billion asset by capitalizing on shifting copyright enforcement landscapes. Internally, PAG cultivates an ownership culture prioritizing judgment and grit, while advising aspiring investors to secure high-quality mentorship to refine their decision-making capabilities.
- Goldman Sachs17 min
Robert Draper, Writer at Large for "The New York Times Magazine"
Robert Draper's *To Start a War* identifies Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz as the primary architect who shifted the Bush administration from containment to invasion, leveraging the 9/11 attacks to overcome President George W. Bush's initial hesitation regarding Iraq. The text details how flawed intelligence was amplified to secure domestic support, creating a credibility chasm that influenced subsequent presidencies while noting that Colin Powell's refusal to resign likely preserved the necessary UK coalition for the 2003 invasion. Draper concludes by analyzing the war's enduring legacy on modern foreign policy, highlighting Joe Biden's regrets over his 2002 vote and the current administration's cautious approach to intelligence and military intervention.
- Goldman Sachs16 min
Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce
During a 2020 interview, CEO Mark Benioff detailed Salesforce's rapid pivot to remote operations, which included distributing 60 million PPE units, investing over $100 million in education, and launching a global vaccine management system. The company simultaneously advanced its strategic acquisition of Slack to unify collaboration tools with its existing commerce and analytics platforms, while transforming its flagship Dreamforce conference from a 150,000-person live event into a virtual gathering reaching 150 million viewers. Benioff further outlined a commitment to stakeholder capitalism and net-zero emissions, urging leaders to prioritize ethical technology application and scenario planning to navigate an uncertain digital future.
- Goldman Sachs7 min
The Outlook for Vaccine Distribution and Global Growth
Despite initial logistical failures and supply constraints that slowed global vaccination, major advanced economies are accelerating deployment through strategic reforms modeled after Israel's digitized and centralized approach. This shift is projected to steepen the vaccination curve starting in February, with the U.S., U.K., and EU targeting 50% first-dose coverage by spring or early summer to achieve herd immunity before the end of the year. While new viral strains and hospitalization risks present challenges, Goldman Sachs anticipates that rapid inoculation will serve as the primary catalyst for a robust global economic recovery in 2021.
- Goldman Sachs8 min
Measuring the Reopening of Lodging, Leisure and Gaming
Goldman Sachs Research evaluated 28 gaming, lodging, and leisure stocks against a new recovery framework, achieving a 32% outperformance over the S&P 500 driven by strong forward bookings and a $1.3 trillion influx of consumer savings. Analysts cite China's travel normalization as a leading indicator that U.S. activity will undergo a significant step-function shift by mid-year following broad vaccine distribution. The firm concludes that while the sector faces long-term structural changes like the "bleisure" trend and digital transformation, current valuations remain attractive relative to the broader market's recovery potential.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
The Challenges Behind the COVID-19 Vaccines Rollout
Veronika Dubajova, Veronica, Liz
Global vaccination efforts require approximately 10 billion doses to immunize 5 billion adults, a volume driven by a massive U.S. target of 500 million doses and significant logistical challenges in both upstream supply and downstream distribution. While upstream constraints for vials and syringes have been largely mitigated through manufacturing scaling, downstream bottlenecks persist due to complex supply chains and variable cold-storage requirements that differ between Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca formulations. Current U.S. distribution is further complicated by vaccination hesitancy among only 30–50% of frontline staff and a temporary mismatch where 10 million administered doses remain unutilized, prompting the strategic release of withheld second-dose reserves to increase throughput.
- Goldman Sachs6 min
How Investors Are Preparing for Rising Inflation
Recent shifts in trade-weighted dollars and commodity indices signal a transition from deflation to reflation driven by vaccine distribution, unified U.S. fiscal spending, and a flexible Federal Reserve policy. This macroeconomic environment is prompting investors to rotate capital from large-cap technology stocks toward small-cap value equities, real assets, and sectors poised for reopening or supported by renewable energy initiatives. Consequently, market expectations point to robust growth in emerging markets and cyclical opportunities as inflationary pressures reshape asset allocation strategies for 2021.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
Convenience Stores on the Rise
The U.S. convenience store sector, currently fragmented with 60% of 153,000 locations owned by independents, is undergoing a strategic pivot from fuel-centric models to high-margin food and beverage offerings that now generate up to 60% gross profits. Major operators are accelerating this consolidation through acquisitions and infrastructure investments, particularly in electric vehicle charging and frictionless payments, while blurring lines with quick-service restaurants and grocery sectors. As Goldman Sachs predicts a continued "roll-up" trend, the industry is restructuring to capitalize on evolving consumer mobility and remote work patterns by leveraging real estate and expanded service portfolios to drive long-term growth.