Latest Interviews
Showing 796–810 of 1,193 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs24 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Chris Kempczinski, President and CEO, McDonald’s
McDonald's CEO Chris Kamczynski detailed how the pandemic accelerated delivery growth and solidified drive-thru capabilities as critical operational assets that enabled the brand to navigate government closures. Leadership emphasized that the decentralized franchise model provided the agility necessary to adapt to regional recovery disparities across Asia, Europe, and North America, while internal diversity metrics and ongoing safety protocols remain central to the company's strategy. Ultimately, the crisis reinforced the long-term value of brand trust and demonstrated that transparent communication and strategic leadership depth are essential for managing unprecedented global complexity.
- Goldman Sachs17 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Kevin Johnson, President and CEO, Starbucks Coffee Company
Starbucks Executive Kevin Johnson described a global crisis response strategy that adapted a China-derived playbook to guide operations across 32,000 stores in 80 countries while prioritizing employee safety and government health guidelines. The company leveraged AI-driven digital dashboards to manage market-specific closures and implemented rigorous health protocols, transitioning from containment to a "monitor and adapt" phase that emphasized mobile ordering and curbside pickup. Concurrently, leadership fostered ongoing racial justice dialogues through virtual family meetings and "pour-over sessions," aiming to balance these social initiatives with a long-term vision that merges the traditional in-store "third place" with convenient digital services.
- Goldman Sachs32 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Jon Gray, President and COO, Blackstone
Blackstone leverages its $150 billion in dry powder to capitalize on pandemic-accelerated sectors like logistics and digital infrastructure while navigating short-term headwinds in traditional urban real estate and retail. The firm anticipates a staggered "slow recovery" economy that will permanently alter workplace dynamics and force significant capital adaptation in the retail and hospitality industries. By prioritizing long-term asset resilience over rapid exits, Blackstone aims to generate returns for essential service pension funds while managing a transition toward hybrid work models and more diverse, inclusive corporate cultures.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Adena Friedman, President and CEO, Nasdaq
Adina Friedman outlines how capital markets and cooperative capitalism sustained the economy during the pandemic, enabling resilient IPO growth in the biotech and technology sectors while facilitating critical corporate adjustments. Goldman Sachs and market leaders have simultaneously accelerated diversity mandates and governance reforms, driven by investor pressure and social movements like Black Lives Matter to ensure boards reflect broader societal values. The crisis further transformed leadership expectations, shifting organizational cultures toward transparent, vulnerable communication to foster collective problem-solving and long-term stakeholder alignment.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Sarah Friar, CEO, Nextdoor
Between February and May 2020, Nextdoor experienced an 80% surge in usage and a permanent shift to daily engagement across 265,000 neighborhoods while deploying safety features like the Help Map and verified residency checks to support local commerce and counter misinformation. CEO Sarah Levison pivoted the platform toward a stakeholder model that leveraged psychological research to reduce racial profiling by 70% and introduced transparency measures to foster grassroots social change. These strategic adaptations addressed a 100% revenue drop for small businesses and aligned with emerging long-term trends in local commerce, virtual healthcare, and hybrid work environments.
- Goldman Sachs46 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Jim Fitterling, CEO of Dow, and Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture
Jim Fitterling, Julie Sweet, John
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and Dow executive Fitterling describe how the 2020 pandemic accelerated a fundamental shift from physical to digital business operations, exposing a performance gap where top adopters leveraged cloud infrastructure to remote-work instantly while laggards struggled with obsolete sales channels. This crisis drove aggressive strategic pivots, including Dow's rapid e-commerce expansion and the integration of AI for product development, which simultaneously highlighted critical needs for cybersecurity fortification and systemic workforce reskilling through public-private partnerships. The leaders further argue that these technological transitions must be paired with enduring commitments to sustainability targets and racial justice initiatives to ensure long-term organizational resilience against future geopolitical and social disruptions.
- Goldman Sachs23 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Ray Dalio Founder, Co-Chairman and Co-CIO, Bridgewater Associates
Ray Dalio identifies a convergence of the long-term debt cycle, extreme wealth inequality, and a structural rivalry between the U.S. and China that mirrors the geopolitical tensions of the 1930s. This framework signals a shift toward monetary and fiscal coordination that depreciates cash and currency while inflating asset prices, rendering the traditional 60/40 investment strategy ineffective. Consequently, investors are urged to pivot away from bonds and cash toward diversified holdings like gold and inflation-protected securities to preserve wealth against inevitable currency devaluation and heightened political risk.
- Goldman Sachs13 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Dr. Stephen J. Corwin, President and CEO, New York-Presbyterian
Dr. Stephen J. Corwin, Sharmini, Dr. Steve Corwin
During the unprecedented first wave of the pandemic, New York Presbyterian Hospital, under President and CEO Dr. Steve Corwin, treated over 2,700 COVID-19 patients while grappling with severe supply chain shortages and a psychological toll that resulted in the suicide of a physician leader. Facing a projected financial loss exceeding $1 billion and an estimated 20% in-hospital mortality rate, the institution is now expanding ICU capacity to 900 beds and securing a 60-day PPE stockpile to prepare for a potential second wave. Despite Dr. Corwin's pessimism regarding vaccine availability before early 2021, the hospital is refining novel staffing models and supporting peer networks to ensure resilience against future surges in New York and emerging epicenters.
- Goldman Sachs18 min
From “The Way Forward" Conference: Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Air Lines
Delta CEO Ed Bastian characterizes the pandemic as a biological crisis more complex than 9/11, prompting the airline to implement strict safety protocols like 60% load caps, mandatory masking, and comprehensive HEPA filtration that have reduced employee infection rates to one-fifth of the national average. While leisure demand has driven a rebound to 15% of pre-pandemic volumes with record customer satisfaction scores, the company simultaneously shifts its strategic focus toward workforce resilience, launching a massive employee testing program and reorganizing its fleet to prepare for a future where domestic travel leads economic recovery.
- Goldman Sachs8 min
The Next Phase of Corporate Strategy
Global corporations are fundamentally reorienting their strategies from strict financial optimization to operational resilience and social purpose, driven by a global health crisis that distinguishes this period from previous economic downturns. This pivot has fueled record capital raising and accelerated supply chain decoupling from China, while investment banks have successfully maintained deal flow through fully virtual execution methods. Looking ahead, pent-up capital and sector-specific consolidation needs in technology and healthcare are expected to drive a meaningful resurgence in merger and acquisition activity later this year.
- Goldman Sachs7 min
What’s Next for Emerging Markets Equities
Emerging market equities have rallied due to pandemic recovery, fiscal stimulus, and resilient corporate earnings, with a specific structural shift occurring as manufacturing capacity relocates from China to nations like Mexico. The sector's diversity drives distinct opportunities across fintech, where China and India lead adoption, and e-commerce in Latin America, which is projected to double its penetration rate within five years. Although near-term earnings may decline, Goldman Sachs maintains a positive outlook based on projected regional growth of 7% to 8% and the current discount of EM valuations relative to historical levels and developed markets.
- Goldman Sachs7 min
Face Masks and GDP
Goldman Sachs Research proposes a national face mask mandate as an economic alternative to lockdowns, projecting that increasing U.S. compliance from 70% to 85% could lower daily infection growth rates from 1.6% to 0.6%. The report argues this strategy would avoid the estimated 5% GDP reduction associated with equivalent restrictions on economic activity, citing data from East Asia and Southern Europe where mandates successfully slowed viral spread. While the analysis acknowledges potential measurement errors, it concludes that federal or decentralized mandates offer a statistically viable path to mitigate the Sunbelt's accelerating crisis.
- Goldman Sachs9 min
Small Cap Stock Performance
Following a post-March market bottom where small-cap stocks outperformed large-caps by 30%, investors are capitalizing on a recovery trade focused on domestically generated revenues. Portfolio managers have strategically avoided pandemic-impacted sectors like energy and retail, instead positioning capital in healthcare, technology, and consumer digitization companies capable of sustaining market share. This active, bottom-up approach leverages deep fundamental analysis to identify inflection points in firms pivoting toward therapeutics, educational technology, and cybersecurity, reinforcing the strategy's efficiency advantage over passive small-cap investing.
- Goldman Sachs11 min
Stress Testing the Big US Banks
The Federal Reserve implemented a new Stress Capital Buffer Framework for the 10th annual stress test, allowing 32 banks to bypass prior approval requirements for capital returns while withstanding simulated scenarios of 10% unemployment and a 50% market decline. All participating institutions passed with $140 billion in excess aggregate capital, positioning the banking system with double the 2008 reserves and liquidity sufficient to support over $1 trillion in incremental lending. To address projected unemployment peaks exceeding 15%, banks will resubmit capital plans in late 2020 while leveraging robust capital market activity to offset rising loan loss reserves and maintain operational profitability.
- Goldman Sachs23 min
Val Ackerman, Commissioner of the Big East Conference
On March 12, the Big East Conference suspended its tournament quarterfinals following a strategic assessment by its Board of Directors amidst state mandates on large gatherings and the broader coronavirus response. Under the leadership of President Val Ackerman, the conference simultaneously launched a diversity working group across its 11 member schools and advocated for NCAA rule changes permitting student-athletes to monetize their names, images, and likenesses. With UConn's recent addition strengthening its competitive profile and an expanded digital network, the conference is navigating complex return-to-play logistics while leveraging its status as the largest producer of collegiate women's sports programming.