Latest Interviews
Showing 2476–2490 of 2,499 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute55 min
The Awesome Responsibility of Leadership: A Conversation with Harry Reid and Eric Cantor
Harry Reid, Eric Cantor, Michael Milken
Senators Harry Reid and Eric Cantor discussed urgent challenges to federal biomedical funding, public health, and education while outlining a bipartisan strategy for comprehensive immigration reform ahead of the July 4th recess. Reid emphasized the severe impact of sequestration on research institutions and nutrition programs, whereas Cantor advocated for technology-driven wellness initiatives and proposed an "ag worker" immigration measure alongside STEM visa retention. The leaders concluded by pledging continued collaboration through a joint trip to the NIH, future joint fundraising in their home states, and the pursuit of an immigration bill that offers a pathway to citizenship while maintaining the rule of law.
- Milken Institute52 min
A Conversation with Thorsten Heins: The Future of BlackBerry and Mobile Computing
Under CEO Torsten Heinz, BlackBerry executed a drastic 75% workforce reduction and complete management overhaul to halt financial insolvency and transition from crisis-mode governance to a culture of decentralized innovation. The company relaunched as a unified brand with the Z10 and Q10 devices powered by the secure QNX-based BlackBerry 10 operating system, which uniquely combines enterprise-grade security with a distinct separation of personal and business environments on a single endpoint. Targeting the "third player" market for carriers and enterprises, BlackBerry leverages its private global data network to dominate the mobile computing sector by integrating automotive telematics and emerging market financial infrastructure while positioning itself as the leader in secure, unified user experiences.
- Milken Institute57 min
Building a Global Community to Drive Social Change
Alden, Sean, Ben, Jesse, Michelle, Yancey, Patty, Xavier, Dwayne Johnson, Steven Spielberg, George Soros, Clinton, Barack, Obama
A panel discussion at a media industry event detailed how organizations like TakePart and Good magazine are pivoting from passive content consumption to decentralized, action-oriented community platforms that leverage social media for civic engagement. Key examples included a Facebook game raising $200,000 and mobilizing 700,000 players globally, alongside successful film campaigns for *Lincoln* and *Food, Inc.* that drove measurable consumer behavior changes and policy shifts. The conversation highlighted a broader industry trend where authentic, two-way digital conversations and grassroots organizing are replacing traditional top-down communication to address global challenges effectively.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Building the Apps Economy
Kara Swisher, John Malloy, Diane, Mike Mandel, Ray Sharma
A 2012 analysis reveals that the U.S. app economy generated over 81 billion downloads and 500,000 jobs, a growth rate far exceeding traditional software sectors and driven primarily by enterprise adoption. The industry is rapidly shifting from simple downloads to complex "freemium" monetization models and location-based services, despite significant regulatory challenges regarding privacy and sector-specific oversight. Looking forward, market consolidation and emerging technologies like augmented reality are expected to transform mobile computing into wearable interfaces, fundamentally altering how value is measured and delivered across healthcare, transportation, and retail.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
A Conversation with Larry King and Carlos Slim
Carlos Slim, a telecommunications magnate known for his disciplined approach to business and extensive philanthropy, attributes his success to an innate curiosity and a belief that wealth should serve as a tool for social development rather than an end goal. His economic analysis highlights unsustainable Western fiscal deficits, prompting proposals for structural reforms such as privatizing state assets and rethinking labor models, while his foundation actively advances global health and digital literacy through massive infrastructure projects in Latin America and Indonesia. Despite facing criticism regarding market dominance, Slim maintains that his operations are driven by efficiency and competition, viewing his survival of multiple life-threatening health crises as a testament to his philosophy that happiness is defined by a continuous "love for life."
- Milken Institute56 min
Power Shift: The Changing American Electorate
Joel Benenson, Harold Ford Jr., Frank Luntz, Dan Schnur, Matt Miller
A panel of political analysts examines how demographic shifts and a generational divide have restructured the American electorate around a "freedom vs. fairness" conflict, fundamentally altering the dynamics observed in the 2012 re-election of President Obama. The discussion highlights how institutional structures, including primary mechanics and the Senate filibuster, incentivize extreme polarization while eroding trust in corporations and the political system. Looking ahead to the 2014 midterms and future governance, the experts argue that successful leadership must emerge from outside traditional congressional channels to navigate ideological silos and address the specific economic and social anxieties of women and Latino voters.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
A Conversation with Barry Diller
Barry Diller, John Haskell, Jr., Brett Helen
Media veteran Barry Diller characterizes the internet as a radical revolution that will dismantle incumbent media bundles by removing intermediaries, a strategy he exemplifies by defending the legality of Aereo against broadcast lobbies. Diller distinguishes between surviving platforms like Netflix and HBO, which can thrive with standalone subscription models, and failing legacy structures such as newspapers and Best Buy that lack unique value propositions or pricing power. Ultimately, he argues that while established companies often resist change to protect closed systems, innovation driven by leaders who take massive risks remains the only viable path to survival in an increasingly open digital economy.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Value and Values: Building a High-Performance Company
Mark Benioff, Ken Hicks, Walter Robb, Jay Rizzullo, Tom Wyatt, Willow
Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff, Whole Foods Co-CEO Walter Robb, Disney CFO Jay Rizzullo, Foot Locker's Ken Hicks, and Knowledge Universe CEO Tom Wyatt convened to discuss aligning corporate social responsibility with high-performance cultural strategies across their respective enterprises. The panelists detailed how empowering local decision-making, integrating philanthropy into operations, and enforcing ethical transparency have driven talent retention, brand loyalty, and financial resilience despite short-term investment pressures. Looking forward, the group emphasized that future market success depends on leveraging social technologies to rebuild legacy systems and maintaining radical accountability as consumer expectations shift toward ethical business models.
- Milken Institute59 min
Two, Three, Many Middle Easts: A Region's Economic Prospects
Senator Casey, Heidi, Osama, Saeed Nashef, Chris Schroeder, Mitch, Shmuel, Gary Gensler
This analysis of the Middle East highlights how the region's youthful demographics and structural energy shifts create significant economic potential despite high geopolitical instability. Key figures like Senator Bob Casey emphasize the necessity of sustained US engagement and regulatory reforms to bridge the gap between insufficient foreign investment and the massive capital needs of the private sector. Successful initiatives in Jordan, Palestine, and mobile-first markets demonstrate that targeted entrepreneurial ecosystems and cross-border collaboration can overcome local barriers to drive growth across the 350 million-person Arab-speaking market.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Global Opportunities in Commercial Real Estate
Lou Feldman, Peter Loewy, Bill McMorrow, Nicholas Gorsh, Barry Sternlich, Sam Zell
Leading real estate executives including Sam Zell, Peter Loewy, and Bill McMorrow analyzed a 2013 market defined by $320 billion in global capital deployment and a divergence between recovering asset classes and regional stagnation. While the United States offered risk-adjusted returns driven by a unique debt spread, specific opportunities emerged in Ireland's tax-advantaged tech sector, Mexico's manufacturing hub potential, and Brazil's resource-driven growth. The discussion concluded with strategic guidance on shifting capital toward boring, income-generating assets while navigating structural challenges like rising security costs and the lack of a U.S. terrorism insurance backstop.
- Milken Institute58 min
Magic Johnson and David Ho: Winning the Battle Against AIDS
Magic Johnson, David Ho, Earvin (Magic) Johnson, Al Michaels
This event examines the historical parallel between the 1955 polio vaccine breakthrough and the 1991 HIV diagnosis of Magic Johnson, contrasting how celebrity advocacy and scientific innovation transformed both diseases from fatal epidemics into manageable conditions. Featuring physician Dr. David Ho and former NBA star Magic Johnson, the presentation details the shift from terminal diagnoses following the 1996 "Hiroshima" treatment breakthrough to current efforts targeting a functional cure and global eradication. The discussion concludes by analyzing persistent disparities in sub-Saharan Africa and among racial minorities in the United States while highlighting how HIV research has accelerated broader medical advancements in immunology and drug approval processes.
- Milken Institute1h 15m
The Promise of the Bioscience Century
Paul Irving, Mike Milken, Eric Cantor, Paul Chu, Jeff, Bernardo Zavala, Jr., Bernard Harris, Andy von Eschenbach, Peggy, Francis Collins, Chris Austin
This event analyzes the critical role of bioscience in driving global economic growth and societal well-being while highlighting China's aggressive $308 billion investment program that threatens to surpass U.S. leadership. Panelists discuss strategic institutional responses, such as DARPA's high-risk research model and the FDA's regulatory innovations, which have accelerated breakthroughs in prosthetics, personalized medicine, and disease prevention. However, fiscal constraints and shifting global demographics necessitate sustained bipartisan funding to preserve the United States' status as a central hub for scientific innovation and global health security.
- Milken Institute1h 12m
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works
A.G. Lafley, Roger L. Martin, Joel Kurtzman
Former P&G CEO A.G. Lafley and strategist Roger Martin outline a five-choice framework designed to shift the company from product myopia to a consumer-focused model, emphasizing hard portfolio choices to maximize innovation. By divesting low-growth categories and redirecting capital toward strategic acquisitions and external partnerships like Connect & Develop, the organization achieved organic growth rates significantly higher than the industry average while rejecting short-term activist pressures. This approach prioritizes clear logical frameworks over pure data analytics to align organizational capabilities with specific winning aspirations across global markets.
- Bank of America9 min
Bank of America tech exec talks to Institutional Investor
A financial institution successfully completed a 15-year strategic initiative to consolidate its US consumer and small business operations onto a single core banking platform, a process culminating in the migration of 10 million customers and 19.5 million accounts in California. This massive transition, executed over two weekends, retired 110 legacy applications and removed approximately 200 non-standard products while adhering to a "rebuild, replace, and reduce" modernization framework. The organization now focuses on shifting from legacy maintenance to future growth through mobile-first solutions, advanced AI analytics, and a revised talent acquisition strategy prioritizing problem-solving skills over specific programming languages.
- Milken Institute52 min
Dinner Panel: Mike Milken Interviews Eike Batista and T. Boone Pickens
Mike Milken, Eike Batista, T. Boone Pickens, Michael Milken
Nobel laureates and energy advocates Boone Pickens and Ike Batista identified energy and education as the two primary drivers of global societal challenges, contrasting U.S. legislative gridlock over natural gas solutions with Brazil's stable "unleveraged economy." While Pickens advocates for replacing imported diesel with domestic natural gas to reduce reliance on OPEC, Batista highlights Brazil's massive offshore oil discoveries and strategic investments as a key frontier for global energy needs. The panel further outlined specific economic strategies, including U.S. job creation through fuel conversion and Brazil's $15.5 billion EBX Group expansion, positioning both nations as critical players in the future resource landscape.