Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers

Jason Buechel, Vice President, Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores, and CEO, Whole Foods Market, joins John Chambers for episode 40 of Chambers Talks to discuss customer obsession, the future of grocery retail, and why #InnovationStartsWithListening. Drawing on experience across consulting, technology, operations, and executive leadership, Jason explains how working backwards from the customer helps t...

As companies scale their AI strategy, many are asking how they’ll meet the resulting surge in energy demand. KR Sridhar, Founder and CEO of Bloom Energy, joins John Chambers for episode 39 of Chambers Talks to unpack this market transition and how Bloom’s distributed, on-site power platform is redefining what’s possible in power generation and reliability. KR explains why the age of AI is also the...

Jim Snabe, Chairman of Siemens, joins John Chambers for Episode 38 of Chambers Talks to discuss how leaders can navigate uncertainty with optimism, courage, and conviction. Drawing from his “Dreams and Details” leadership philosophy, Jim shares why companies must continuously reinvent themselves, challenge assumptions, and embrace AI as one of the biggest opportunities of our time. John and Jim al...

Tim Walsh, Chair and CEO of KPMG US, joins John Chambers for episode 37 of Chambers Talks to discuss how a 125-year-old company continues to reinvent itself. Drawing on his 34-year tenure at KPMG, Tim shares lessons learned and highlights why trust‑driven leadership, agility, and early investment in transformative technologies matter. The conversation explores scaling AI responsibly, strengthening...

Jacques Aschenbroich, Chairman of Orange – one of the largest telecoms operators in the world, joins John Chambers for episode 36 of Chambers Talks to discuss how visionary leadership and cross-border collaboration can accelerate innovation for meaningful impacts. Jacques shares his lessons from leading global transformations across verticals, from energy, manufacturing, automotive, and telecoms,...

Walmart President & CEO Doug McMillon joins John Chambers for episode 35 of Chambers Talks to share how embracing servant leadership and being #DrivenByCulture have contributed to Walmart’s success. Doug reflects on the values passed down from Sam Walton and how they continue to guide Walmart’s journey today – and how embracing innovation, taking risks, and deploying AI tools are helping to transf...

Optimum Chairman and CEO Dennis Mathew joins John Chambers for a discussion on driving growth, fostering innovation, and making a #PositiveImpact. Since taking the helm of one of the largest broadband communications and video providers in the U.S., Dennis has successfully transformed the company from the inside out. In episode 34 of Chambers Talks, Dennis shares the groundwork that went into execu...

In episode 33 of Chambers Talks, John Chambers sits down with Roxanne Austin, President and CEO of Austin Investment Advisors, to unpack invaluable #BoardroomInsights. As someone who sits on several boards and has held multiple C-suite positions, Roxanne is uniquely positioned to share how the two teams can best work together, especially as the business world navigates AI’s disruptive nature and u...

The country of Guyana’s newfound natural resources have made it the fastest growing economy in the world. In this latest Chambers Talks episode, John talks with Guyana President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali about his vision for the country’s future through investments in education, healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure. The two discuss the strategic initiatives President Ali is championing with th...

AI is transforming the world of business, creating new opportunities for growth, innovation, and social good. But organizations are still finding it challenging to strategically harness the power of AI and apply it to their specific goals. On episode 31 of Chambers Talks, former EY Global Chairman and CEO Carmine Di Sibio talks with John about how the firm is leveraging AI to create long-term valu...

Ajay Banga was chosen as The World Bank’s 14th President in 2023 by President Joe Biden. On the first Chambers Talks episode of 2024, Ajay joins John to talk about where the world is heading and how The World Bank’s new mission under Ajay’s leadership will help us get there. The two discuss the impact of digitization on the world, specifically in developing nations, visions for the future, how inn...

Confronted with a dramatic decrease in traditional mail due to the advent of digital communications, French postal service company, La Poste Groupe, was faced with the reality of disrupting or getting disrupted. By embracing the new digital frontier via startup partnerships, portfolio diversification, and digital education for employees, France’s oldest company has managed to not just survive but...

Tech has the power to solve market problems – but CEOs need to ensure they identify the appropriate and realistic product market fits and not get distracted by hype cycles. For episode 28 of Chambers Talks, John speaks with someone who has done this incredibly well in the world of augmented reality: Peggy Johnson, CEO of Magic Leap. Through her unique expertise in engineering and passion for expla...

If you’re looking for a prime example of the American Dream, look no further than President & CEO of Broadcom, Hock Tan. 50 years ago, Hock arrived in America with a plan to get a great education and never stopped pursuing his own American Dream. From working at General Motors and PepsiCo, to leading several semiconductor companies, Hock knows the value of staying open to new, exciting opportuniti...

Over the past five years, big changes have taken place at IBM. Under the leadership of Chairman & CEO, Arvind Krishna, IBM has renewed its approach to innovation with acquisitions, investments in emerging tech, and ultimately ignited an exciting new energy throughout the organization. IBM is no stranger to reinvention and in the next episode of Chambers Talks, Arvind talks with John about his advi...

John is joined by friend and fellow tech disruptor Raj Subramaniam to discuss stepping into the role of President and CEO of the iconic FedEx. The greatest companies can often be the most difficult to change, yet over the past 50 years FedEx has continuously evolved to meet the needs of the world around us. From the company’s legacy of innovation and its commitment to finding significant points of...

Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of AMD, joins John on the podcast to discuss what “tech for good” truly means in practice. With a solid internal innovation engine, a knack for executing strategic acquisitions, and a plan for engaging in more public-private partnerships, Dr. Su and her team are hyper-focused on finding opportunities to use emerging technologies, like AI, to tackle the world’s toughest c...

John is joined by three of his JC2 Ventures mentees – Vijay Balasubramaniyan of Pindrop, Mike Fong of Privoro, and Bipul Sinha of Rubrik – to talk about one of today’s hottest topics in tech and business: Cybersecurity. As technology becomes more advanced, organizations and their leaders find themselves under increased pressure to fortify their cyber infrastructure. On episode 23 of “Chambers Talk...

John invites Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson, on the podcast for a discussion about the future of connectivity and how 5G will change the world. By staying close to customers, employees, and stakeholders, Börje and his team are executing a long-term vision to develop digital infrastructure that will “make the unimaginable possible”. Börje emphasizes the importance of remaining flexible and pivoting...

In episode 21 of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers”, Chairman and CEO of Revolution, Steve Case, joins John to talk about their shared passion of building startup communities across the entire country, beyond traditional hubs like Silicon Valley, New York, and Boston. As an entrepreneur himself – Steve co-founded AOL – Steve understands the importance of venture capital in prope...

In episode 20 of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers”, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, Tim Höttges, joins John to chat about the always leading mentality that helped position Deutsche Telekom as the leading telecommunications company in Europe. Tim and John share the belief that agility in today’s business environment is key to survival. That willingness to adapt and undergo significant...

In episode 19 of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers”, John is joined by Idalene “Idie” Kesner – Dean of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business – to discuss the importance of cultivating an entrepreneur mindset, especially in universities, amidst the current business environment. As someone who has spent her career researching and analyzing business strategy, Idie and othe...

John and Hans Vestberg talk about the unique challenge Hans faced when he first took the helm as Chairman and CEO of Verizon in 2018 on the 18th episode of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers”. Hans describes lessons learned from taking over an already successful company – he did not have to fix the ship, but he also recognized the importance of disruption. He developed a three-pr...

John and Brian Moynihan – Chairman and CEO of Bank of America – reflect on what the year ahead will bring for businesses on episode 17 of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers”. Brian has helped Bank of America evolve since becoming CEO in 2010 – and, as a result, the company’s stock has more than tripled and analysts are now referring to them as a technology company, rather than a...

John hosts a discussion with another West Virginian native on Episode 16 of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers.” Senator Joe Manchin has long been known for his bipartisanship approach to politics. The American people and government have never been more divided and having the courage to lead “down the middle” is what will lead to stability and long-term success. Senator Manchin s...