View From The Top

Rosalind Brewer has a remarkable ability to see the big picture. She has led major organizations such as Sam's Club and Starbucks and identified major growth opportunities by tapping into her education in chemistry and data analytics. In this  View From The Top  interview conducted by Joy Wong, MBA ’21, the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance and former COO of Starbucks shares why you s...

Tony Xu , MBA ’13, says that immigrating from China at the age of five and moving around as a young kid taught him one of the keys to success — how to adapt to new environments. Influenced by his entrepreneurial and hardworking parents, Xu started  Doordash  in his apartment while attending Stanford Graduate School of Business. In this  View From The Top  interview conduct...

Founding Member of the SB Opportunity Fund and Former CEO of TaskRabbit, Stacy Brown-Philpot, MBA ’02, is leading the charge on diversity by trusting her gut. In this View From The Top conversation at Stanford GSB, Stacy discusses her childhood in Detroit and how community has given her grit and influenced her career journey with Jess Lawson, MBA ’21. Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is...

Ruth Zukerman  discovered spinning at a difficult crossroads in her life, and she was thrilled when it turned into her next entrepreneurial endeavor: opening her own spin studio. This new venture, however, didn’t come without its own uncertainties and challenges, which Zukerman overcame through persistence and a newfound sense of confidence. In her  View From The Top  conversation a...

Born in a log cabin in British Columbia, Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield studied Philosophy in college, taught himself to code, co-founded Flickr, and then co-founded a videogame startup that evolved into Slack. Along the way, he learned a lot about innovating in the face of failure, considering all voices in decision-making, and creating a company culture that “walks the walk” when it comes to dive...

You may think you know Steph Curry the basketball player, but the star of the Golden State Warriors has been working to build an important legacy both on and off the court in supporting his family foundation, building a company, and raising his three young children. While he gives a lot of credit to his faith and support system for his success, his hard work has earned him a place as one of the co...

Outdoor retailer Patagonia is known for its outspoken environmental activism, and Rose Marcario is the driving force behind that message. She left behind a lucrative career in private equity to join the company in 2008. Now, as CEO, she’s working to cultivate the “self-examining” culture that drew her to Patagonia in the first place. Her priorities include promoting long-term thinking, instituting...

As Microsoft CEO since 2014, Satya Nadella has helped refresh an aging tech giant, pushing the company into artificial intelligence and cloud networking. His tactics have Wall Street’s attention: on Oct. 15 the company’s stock hit an all-time high of $141.57. In his View from the Top discussion at Stanford GSB, Nadella told students that a sense of purpose is invaluable to company success, and how...

Oscar Munoz became CEO of United Airlines in 2015 — and almost immediately suffered a heart attack. He recovered to oversee the airline’s labor negotiations, continue the work of merging United’s corporate culture with that of Continental Airlines, and guide the company through a period of bad publicity. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, he discussed issues ranging from gun c...

When Dara Khosrowshahi fled Iran and arrived in the United States, he was 9 years old, did not speak fluent English, and was unfamiliar with the culture. With the help of sports, he assimilated — ultimately launching a business career. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, he talked about how he cultivated mentors and how he is approaching diversity and inclusion at Uber. Stanfor...

Ruth Porat has seen two financial crises up close: She had just started at Morgan Stanley in 1987 when the stock market crashed, forcing her to reconsider her focus on mergers and acquisitions. Then, in 2008, she was asked to serve as an advisor to the U.S. Treasury Department during the recession. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, she discussed how these experiences shaped h...

Ray Dalio founded Bridgewater Investments, the most successful hedge fund in history. But he also made mistakes — and those mistakes helped him learn to balance audacity with humility. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, he talked about the value of a system that allows competing points of view to be heard fairly. Such a system can lead to good decisions in both business and pu...

How did a history major with no formal technical training become one of technology’s most successful investors? During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, venture capitalist Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital said it’s critical to be able to process new information and ideas, as well as to communicate effectively. He also discussed how to identify promising companies that may not fit i...

Selling sneakers from the back of his car, Phil Knight co-founded Nike with his college track coach in 1964. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Knight talked about the origins of his highly competitive, never-give-up attitude — and how that attitude has played out at Nike over the years. Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978...

Diane Von Furstenberg didn’t plan a career in fashion — she just wanted to earn her own money. Staying open to new ideas led to her starting the DVF clothing line. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Von Furstenberg explained how she got started — and what helped her rebuild her business when she “lost it all.” Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the dean’s premier speaker seri...

When it comes to “moral victories,” Rahm Emanuel, the current mayor of Chicago and former White House chief of staff, will have none of it. “Our party likes to be right, even if they lose,” he says. During a one-hour View From The Top discussion with Ben Kohlmann, MBA '17, at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Emanuel sketched his vision for the Democratic Party and offered advice to future bus...

Jeff Weiner is intrigued by the future of work and the dramatic changes that have occurred in the workplace in recent years. Weiner has been the CEO of LinkedIn for a decade, and under his leadership the company has grown from 338 employees to over 10,000. Annual revenues now top $3 billion. In his View From The TopView From the Top conversation at Stanford GSB, Weiner spoke with Al El Badry, MBA...

Magic Johnson is known globally for his success as one of the all-time great NBA stars.. The Michigan native played 13 seasons for the LA Lakers before shooting for new ventures like starting a record label, a promotional company, and a chain of movie theaters. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Johnson joined Kara Hollis, MBA ’16, in a conversation on how he began his career...

As CEO of one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical company, Ken Frazier has pushed the firm to invest in treatments for serious diseases, particularly those that affect people in developing countries. During a View From The Top conversation at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Frazier discussed how economic inequality breeds political inequality, his early career pivot from law to business, a...

Getting fired while seemingly at the apogee of a career would faze most executives. But it only took Jeffrey Katzenberg eight days to recover after being shown the door at Disney, where he’d headed its motion picture division for 10 years. In just over a week, he teamed with Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg and David Geffen to launch DreamWorks, where they turned out hits including Saving P...

"Stop the crazy mind chatter in your head that tells you that you are not good enough,” said Oprah Winfrey during a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business. She advised students that even when their long-term goals are unclear, the important thing is to banish self-doubt and continue forward, no matter how small the step. "The way through the challenge is to get still and ask yourself, 'What...

Almost every entrepreneur in the U.S. knows the story of how Spanx started: Sara Blakely, then 27, was prepping for a party when she realized she didn’t have the right undergarment to wear under white pants. To solve the issue she pulled out a pair of scissors and cut the feet off her pantyhose. Thus, Spanx was born. In April of 2018, Blakely visited Stanford GSB and was interviewed by Sarah AlBan...

When Mitt Romney first talked to Bill Bain about joining Bain & Company, Romney was clear about one thing: “I have to have all day Sunday off. If that’s something the firm can’t accept, then I’m probably not the right guy for the firm.” He ended up getting the job and leading its momentous growth. Romney later co-founded the spin-off company, Bain Capital, which grew to become one of the largest p...

In a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2017, Sheryl Sandberg advised students against making a strict plan for their careers, because "you’re going to miss all the good stuff — all the good stuff hasn’t been invented yet!" Sandberg also spoke openly about the sudden loss of her husband, Dave Goldberg, in 2015. “When Dave died, I didn’t think I was capable of anything. I could barely...

Diverse teams lead to more innovation. Stanford professor Margaret Neale talks with Stanford Insights about why it's so hard to create and maintain diverse teams. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.