Latest Interviews
Showing 931–945 of 1,191 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs19 min
David Zaslav – Discovery President and CEO
Discovery is executing a strategic pivot from linear broadcasting to a targeted direct-to-consumer ecosystem, leveraging its top-ranked female viewership to drive a "view and transact" model that integrates commerce into niche apps like HGTV Go and Discovery Go. Supported by significant investments in proprietary technology and engineering talent from Amazon, the company is building a global platform designed to capture higher ad revenue per impression while diversifying into owned content like Golf Digest. This approach allows Discovery to thrive amidst accelerating cord-cutting trends by offering advertisers a safe, data-rich environment that captures a massive audience of women on Sunday nights, ensuring revenue growth even as traditional cable bundles face structural pressures.
- Goldman Sachs14 min
Michael Rapino – Live Nation Entertainment President and CEO
Live Nation aims to expand its 30% global market share to 125 million fans by targeting under-monetized regions in Latin America and Asia while leveraging vertical integration in established markets. To drive economic resilience and revenue optimization, the company is implementing dynamic pricing models, enforcing "Verified Fan" protocols, and shifting toward earlier on-sale cycles to combat secondary market speculation. This strategic approach capitalizes on the recession-resistant nature of the experience economy to secure long-term growth in arena development and primary ticket sales.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
Jonathan Stafford and Wendy Whelan – New York City Ballet
Jonathan Stafford, Wendy Whelan
Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan are reshaping the New York City Ballet by balancing the distinct legacies of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins with contemporary commissions that challenge traditional gender norms. Following organizational turbulence and the Me Too movement, the leadership has implemented rigorous cultural reforms and wellness initiatives to treat dancers as individuals rather than cogs in a machine. This strategic evolution allows the institution to preserve its classical foundations while integrating modern sensibilities to ensure the art form's long-term relevance.
- Goldman Sachs14 min
Brian Roberts – Comcast Chairman and CEO
Comcast is launching the ad-supported streaming service Peacock to leverage its existing 75–80 million cable customers while relying on Sky leadership to execute the platform alongside NBCUniversal's Bonnie Hammer. Financially, the strategy funds significant content investment through repurposed annual spending and aims to generate at least $1 billion in annual film EBITDA by balancing sequels with original productions. This approach shifts the company's focus from raw subscriber growth to optimizing profitability per customer relationship, capitalizing on synergies between its integrated film, broadband, and video operations.
- Goldman Sachs29 min
Brian Grazer – Academy Award-winning Producer
Legendary producer Brian Grazer built his career through "curiosity conversations" with industry titans, a strategy that led to his partnership with Ron Howard and the creation of Oscar-winning hits like *A Beautiful Mind* and the blockbuster *Apollo 13*. Leveraging personal trauma to destigmatize mental illness and reframing technical stories as human survival narratives, Grazer achieved record-breaking box office success while navigating high-stakes professional setbacks, such as his Oscar loss for *A Beautiful Mind*. Currently, Grazer channels his extensive industry experience into "Imagine Impact," a global incubator that mentors diverse storytellers from 90 countries to navigate the complexities of the modern streaming landscape.
- Goldman Sachs29 min
Episode 136: What’s It Really Like to Be a Goldman Sachs Intern?
Jake Seward, Catherine Dorvitz, Rebecca Shiner, Dane Holmes
Dane Holmes, Head of Human Capital Management, guided a Summer 2019 panel of interns, including upcoming analysts Catherine Dorvitz and Rebecca Shiner, to discuss the firm's strategic evolution toward holistic diversity and intentional living. Participants highlighted a critical shift in recruitment where 92% of interns value brand loyalty and a 17% priority on mental disconnection to prevent burnout, alongside an optimistic outlook on AI as a tool for enhancement rather than displacement. The session concluded by outlining the firm's investment in manager education and internal mobility to align with these evolving expectations for meaningful work-life integration.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
US Sen. Tom Cotton – Author, "Sacred Duty"
U.S. Representative J.D. Cotton, a former Infantry platoon leader and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard, outlines his adversarial approach toward China, Iran, and Brexit while advocating for a merit-based green card system to replace chain migration. He critiques the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as a failure that enabled regional aggression and warns that undermining the 2016 UK referendum result would erode democratic trust. Looking ahead, Cotton calls for a Republican Party that bridges the gap between Washington insiders and grassroots voters through a focus on national security, worker protection, and robust civic education.
- Goldman Sachs18 min
Veronika Scott – CEO of The Empowerment Plan
Founded by Veronica Scott in 2010, the Empowerment Plan manufactures weather-resistant wearable coats from deadstock materials to protect Detroit's homeless population while employing those individuals primarily single mothers. This social enterprise model allocates 60% of work hours to production and 40% to case management, resulting in a zero percent recidivism rate and the placement of 60 staff members into permanent housing. The organization prioritizes intensive asset-based care over rapid geographic scaling to maintain deep cultural retention and provide critical navigation support for families escaping systemic poverty.
- Goldman Sachs23 min
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Small Business Owner Jenny Steffensmeier
Kim Reynolds, Jenny Steffensmeier
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is prioritizing workforce development and rural economic empowerment through initiatives like the "Future Ready Iowa" plan, which targets 70% workforce educational attainment by 2025. Her administration has successfully attracted major technology investments by leveraging the state's renewable energy leadership and low operating costs, while supporting small businesses such as Steffensmeier Welding in their transition to solar power. Reynolds emphasizes bipartisan solutions for critical issues including ethanol policy, trade stability via the USMCA, and mental health reform to sustain Iowa's economic growth and attract new residents.
- Goldman Sachs16 min
Darren Walker – President of the Ford Foundation
Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, leverages his decade of private sector experience in capital markets and law to critique structural inequalities he argues threaten American democracy. Drawing on historical data regarding the "War on Drugs" and post-1982 corporate financial shifts, Walker asserts that systemic designs deliberately suppress upward mobility and erode trust in institutions. He concludes by urging professionals to integrate empathy and specific skill sets into for-profit sectors and local community engagement rather than assuming a full career pivot is necessary for social impact.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
J.J. Redick – NBA Player and Podcast Host
Former Duke standout and NBA veteran J.J. Reddick leverages a high-performance upbringing and a transformative sophomore crisis to redefine his professional work ethic through a disciplined, "OCD" training regimen that includes specific daily shot quotas. Currently serving as the primary leader for the New Orleans Pelicans to shield rookie Zion Williamson, he balances on-court mentorship with his podcast *The Vertical*, where he explores diverse fields driven by intellectual curiosity. Looking toward the future, Reddick plans a one-year hiatus to prioritize family while maintaining an open-minded approach to life after basketball, guided by the principle that success extends beyond individual achievement.
- Goldman Sachs24 min
Brad Katsuyama – CEO of IEX
Brad Katsuyama, Michael Lewis, Brian Levine
Brad Katsuyama established the Investor Exchange (IEX) in 2013 to counteract latency arbitrage and multi-tiered market structures that favored high-frequency traders by implementing a mandatory 350-microsecond speed bump to level the playing field. Despite facing intense industry hostility and public scrutiny following Michael Lewis's *Flash Boys* and subsequent congressional testimony, the exchange achieved profitability by 2015 while generating $15 billion in daily volume with a revenue model focused solely on trading fees rather than data sales. This strategy has driven the Securities and Exchange Commission to propose regulatory pilot programs eliminating payment for order flow, signaling a broader industry shift toward the execution quality and transparency principles pioneered by Katsuyama.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
Cecile Richards - Co-Founder of Supermajority
Former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards and co-founders Alicia Garza and Ai-jen Poo launched the advocacy group Supermajority to drive gender equity through grassroots organizing that has already attracted 100,000 members. Drawing on her mother Ann Richards' political legacy and her tenure as Deputy Chief of Staff to Nancy Pelosi, Richards champions bottom-up strategies to expand the electorate and link reproductive rights to broader economic stability. The organization aims to mobilize the 55% of voters who are women by training them to host conversations on issues like equal pay and affordable child care across diverse communities.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
John Fallon – Chief Executive of Pearson
Seventy-five years after pivoting from construction to education, Pearson has transformed into a global learning technology firm by replacing costly textbook sales with affordable rental and digital access models while leveraging AI tools like the AIDA app to personalize calculus instruction. The company now partners with institutions such as Arizona State University and the BBC to deliver low-cost, industry-aligned degrees and is applying research on workforce adaptability to address stalled social mobility in underperforming regions. Through this integration of secure, AI-driven platforms and strategic alliances, Pearson aims to democratize learning outcomes by making education more accessible and adaptable to the changing demands of the 2030 workforce.
- Goldman Sachs16 min
Esera Tuaolo: Retired NFL Player and LGBT Advocate
Esera Tuaolo, Lindsay Druckerman
Former NFL player and singer Essara Tuololo recently joined Goldman Sachs' Consumer Retail Group to discuss his career spanning multiple teams and his pivotal decision to come out as gay in 2000 to protect his adopted children. He detailed the psychological toll of living in the closet and how his 2006 memoir, *Alone in the Trenches*, catalyzed his transition into advocacy through his non-profit, Hate Is Wrong. Since its founding, the organization has raised nearly $40,000 for local anti-bullying initiatives by hosting annual Super Bowl Inclusion Parties that keep all proceeds within the host cities.