Latest Interviews
Showing 736–750 of 1,193 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs10 min
Investing in Environmental Progress
Speakers describe a sustainability revolution driven by regulatory mandates like the EU Green Deal and aggressive corporate commitments from firms such as Google and Amazon, creating massive structural demand for green solutions. Technological advancements in wind energy and electric vehicles have achieved significant cost competitiveness, with wind power already undercutting fossil fuels and EVs nearing price parity with combustion engines. This convergence of policy, corporate strategy, and economic viability positions environmental technology sectors as a long-term wealth creation opportunity where investors can target profitable companies aligned with global decarbonization goals.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
The Future of Airline Travel
The global airline industry is navigating an unprecedented existential crisis characterized by a 50% to 75% revenue collapse, forcing carriers to rely on massive government stimulus and innovative financing tools such as leveraging frequent flyer programs and airport slots. Executives at major carriers like American Airlines, Delta, and Lufthansa are executing deep cash-flow stress tests and securing capital through diverse instruments including rights offerings and preferred stock to survive the prolonged liquidity crunch. While recovery timelines are projected to extend until 2022 or 2023 with a staggered return of demand starting in leisure sectors, the sector is adapting to permanent structural changes in hygiene protocols and testing capabilities.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
"The Battle for Our Screens," Part 3: Social Media in the Social Distancing Age
Heather Bellini, Piyush Mubayi, Jane Dunlevie, Jake Siewert, Heath Terry, Jane Dunleavy
This event analyzed how the 2020 pandemic accelerated social media engagement, drove Zoom's user base to expand sixfold, and normalized short-form video usage in Asian markets while sparking VR/AR adoption. Speakers identified scaling infrastructure and content moderation as critical operational hurdles, noting that platforms like TikTok succeeded through superior UX and algorithmic efficiency. The discussion further projected a robust M&A landscape where acquirers prioritize video capabilities and social commerce, despite a divergence between declining revenue expectations and rising stock valuations.
- Goldman Sachs47 min
"The Battle for Our Screens," Part 2: The Future of Work
Heather Bellini, Ryan Nolan, Tammy Kiely, Renee James, Jake Siewert, Heath Terry, Marco Argenti
The rapid acceleration of remote work has triggered a wholesale shift in enterprise infrastructure, compressing two years of digital transformation into mere months and driving a decisive move from legacy systems to cloud-based Unified Communications as a Service. While global knowledge workers and institutions like Goldman Sachs successfully navigated unprecedented usage spikes through virtualized desktops and hybrid collaboration tools, the market is now consolidating around "Enterprise 4.0" standards that prioritize distributed security, automated workflows, and a blended office model. This new paradigm is attracting significant capital inflows for Series A to IPO-stage companies, fundamentally reshaping real estate footprints and IT budget strategies toward operational expenditure and data insights at the edge.
- Goldman Sachs37 min
"The Battle For Our Screens," Part 1: The Race to Entertain Us
Brett Feldman, Adam Agress, Alekhya Uppalapati, Jake Siewert, Heath Terry, Jake Seward
The pandemic accelerated a structural shift in media consumption, driving a 13% decline in Pay TV households while triggering a 100% surge in streaming engagement and record-breaking mobile gaming spending. Key industry players like AMC and Universal adapted by compressing theatrical release windows to just 17 days, while Disney leveraged its exclusive library to boost Disney+ downloads and test direct-to-consumer models through premium-priced movie releases. As traditional broadcasters face significant ratings erosion, the sector is reallocating $150 billion in legacy revenue toward digital alternatives, with studios and theaters negotiating new financial frameworks to sustain profitability amid heightened production costs and shifting consumer behaviors.
- Goldman Sachs9 min
Measuring the Equity Risk Premium
Following a rapid rebound in global equities, analysts have revised fair value models to account for structurally high Equity Risk Premiums driven by record-low bond yields, resulting in current estimates of 6.5% for Europe and 4.5% for the US. These adjustments suggest that equities will outperform bonds over the next 12 months, with a forecasted decline in the premium potentially unlocking a 10% upside for European indices by 2021. However, this constructive outlook remains contingent on successful economic recovery and vaccine deployment, as delays or rising bankruptcies could undermine the optimistic growth assumptions required to validate the projected 70% ERP reduction.
- Goldman Sachs13 min
The Fintech Revolution
The firm's 10th Annual FinTech Conference convened global leaders to analyze the sector's explosive growth, where the market capitalization of major payment processors has surged to $1 trillion, now exceeding the value of the six largest US banks. Presentations highlighted a $200 billion wave of mergers and acquisitions and identified InsurTech, B2B payments, and foundational infrastructure as key growth vectors, with major players like Ant Financial and Lufax preparing for public offerings in emerging markets. As developing economies adopt digital-first services to bypass legacy systems, the event noted that traditional banks and Big Tech are increasingly replicating these innovative models to secure customer retention in a valuation environment driving multiples from 11x to 25x.
- Goldman Sachs13 min
From Abenomics to Suganomics: What’s Next for Japan
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to preserve Shinzo Abe's expansionary economic framework while accelerating strategic reforms in rural revitalization, banking consolidation, and digital productivity through a new digital agency. These policies have already boosted inbound tourism, popularized the "Furusato Nozei" tax incentive, and entrenched corporate governance changes that increase board diversity and protect minority shareholders. With Goldman Sachs projecting a 24.5% upside for the Nikkei contingent on global growth, investors are positioning in cyclical sectors like autos and machinery while viewing trading companies as dual-play vehicles for economic recovery.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
Jim Coulter, Co-CEO and Founding Partner of TPG
TPG leveraged a rapid market contraction and subsequent recovery to pivot toward defensive infrastructure, accelerated digital trends, and the potential decline of the experience economy. The firm simultaneously advanced ESG integration by expanding board diversity and addressing internal gaps while maintaining a disciplined approach to generating returns in a low-interest-rate environment. Looking forward, the strategy anticipates a flat S&P 500 performance and growing geopolitical fragmentation, urging investors to cultivate broad perspectives to navigate these diverging global markets.
- Goldman Sachs26 min
Tristan Walker, Founder and CEO of Walker & Company
Tristan Walker leverages his background as a former Wall Street trader and early tech employee to lead Walker & Company through the dual crises of the pandemic and systemic racism by anchoring decisions in historical trauma and core values. Under his guidance, the firm achieved record revenue by addressing a 150-year market gap in grooming products for men of color, a strategy that ultimately led to the company's acquisition by Procter & Gamble in 2018. Walker now advocates for an "investment mindset" regarding diversity and predicts that brands failing to respect demographic shifts and cultural influence will cease to exist within two decades.
- Goldman Sachs19 min
Stephen Hawthornthwaite, Chairman and CEO of Rothy’s
Stephen Hawthornthwaite, Jennifer Davis, Stephen Hawthorne-Puig
Founded in 2012 by finance professionals Stephen Hawthorne-Puig and Roth Martin, Rothy's revolutionized the footwear market by launching seamless, machine-washable shoes produced from recycled plastic through a vertically integrated supply chain. The company achieved profitability in 2016 while remaining self-funded, leveraging 3D knitting technology and a core sustainability strategy to build a loyal customer base that drives over half of its traffic through word-of-mouth. Now expanding into handbags and exploring international growth and physical retail, Rothy's maintains a robust research pipeline for men's footwear while continuing to prioritize long-term sustainability over rapid scaling.
- Goldman Sachs12 min
Edtech Faces the Test
Driven by pandemic-induced necessity, education technology has matured into critical infrastructure, prompting a rapid 40% to 100% demand surge that is fueling aggressive capital deployment and intensifying market consolidation among established and innovative players. While higher education and K-12 sectors face distinct fiscal pressures ranging from enrollment deferrals to state tax declines, accelerated procurement cycles have dismantled traditional bureaucratic friction to facilitate immediate adoption of AI-driven adaptive learning platforms. These structural shifts, characterized by faster decision-making and holistic solution integration, are redefining the sector's operational rhythm and creating a resilient, scale-oriented market despite ongoing economic headwinds.
- Goldman Sachs7 min
ESG in the Food & Beverage and Alcohol & Tobacco Sectors
Goldman Sachs Research launched the ESG Roadmap Project to analyze sector-specific risks and opportunities using a methodology that synthesizes data, corporate statements, and analyst insights for 12 to 36-month horizons. The inaugural report on food, beverage, alcohol, and tobacco sectors reveals robust plastic reduction progress while highlighting critical gaps in labor enforcement, deforestation, and the fact that fewer than 25% of firms currently link executive pay to ESG performance. Anticipated regulatory and consumer pressures are expected to drive widespread adoption of science-based emissions targets and compensation structures focused on reducing food waste and Scope 3 emissions across the industry.
- Goldman Sachs11 min
George Roberts, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of KKR
KKR Co-Chairman Peter Roberts outlines the firm's strategic pivot from pandemic liquidity preservation to an offensive deployment of capital across healthcare, technology, and infrastructure sectors. He recounts the firm's 1976 origins, the transformative lessons learned from the RJR Nabisco leveraged buyout regarding market fallibility, and his enduring philosophy that prioritizes character and proactive talent assessment. Looking forward, Roberts forecasts a rising S&P 500 and continued geopolitical divergence between the US and China while emphasizing the critical importance of mentors who foster opportunity rather than just wealth.
- Goldman Sachs10 min
Jon Gray, President and COO of The Blackstone Group
In early 2020, Blackstone deployed approximately $11 billion into distressed public REITs, energy MLPs, and leveraged loans before the market stabilized, a move the firm later regretted as undercapitalized due to the rapid recovery. Looking ahead, the firm targets long-term themes including e-commerce, digital infrastructure, and life sciences while favoring the U.S. and Chinese markets despite projected tensions. With a culture rooted in high-conviction decision-making and nearly $100 billion in warehoused assets, Blackstone aims to navigate elevated valuations by taking calculated risks on sectors poised for post-pandemic rebound.