Bold Names

Jon McNeill, former Tesla president and current GM board member, shares the five-step operating system he used during the Model 3 launch. He outlines questioning requirements, ruthless simplification, prototyping manually before automating, and injecting urgency into culture. He also contrasts leadership styles and reflects on the personal cost of working at a high-pressure, fast-moving company.

Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest Airlines, leading the carrier through assigned seating, new fare tiers and bag fees. He explains why assigned seating was needed and how rollout went. He defends a $1 billion decision to charge for checked bags and describes new fare choices. He also discusses activist pressure, preserving company culture, and plans for premium and longer-haul options.

Brandon Tseng, former U.S. Navy SEAL and co-founder/CEO of Shield AI, builds autonomous drones and AI pilots for defense. He recounts shifting from SEAL missions to autonomy, designing small clearance drones like Nova, and breaking into defense funding. He explains Hivemind overcoming GPS jamming, scaling manufacturing, and why future forces will mix elite manned assets with swarms of affordable autonomous drones.

Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm and chip industry leader, explains how AI will replace apps and become the new user interface. He discusses smart glasses and other personal AI devices, the role of on-device edge computing for privacy, and how power-efficient chips and data-center economics will shape the future of mobile. Short, forward-looking conversation about agents, form factors, and tech supply challenges.

Jeremy Wacksman, CEO of Zillow who is leading its move into an integrated housing super app. He discusses the housing market’s deep supply shortfall, regional shifts in affordability, Zillow’s push to turn browsing into transactions, rentals as a moat, originating mortgages to streamline closings, and using AI and agent tools to speed up workflows.

David Cordani, chairman and CEO of Cigna Group, who runs one of the largest U.S. health insurers, discusses big-picture fixes for American healthcare. He talks about why mental and whole-person health matter. He outlines cost drivers like demand and pricey new treatments. He describes insurer levers such as prevention, chronic-care management, and value-based payment reforms.

Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM who led its cloud and AI reinvention, discusses why IBM is betting on quantum computing. He tours IBM’s Yorktown lab, explains promising applications like materials simulation and carbon capture, and outlines timelines, technical hurdles, and how to build a quantum ecosystem.

Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Lamborghini and leader of the brand’s product and hybrid strategy, talks about how scarcity fuels desirability. He discusses who buys Lamborghinis today and why Sant'Agata craftsmanship matters. He explains the push for hybrids over full electrification and how trade pressures and tariffs are shaping decisions.

Christian Klein, CEO of SAP who led its bold shift to cloud and AI, discusses steering a 50-year-old software giant through upheaval. He talks risk-taking, internal change, building an AI layer for enterprise processes, and why Europe should focus on applied AI in industries like manufacturing and utilities.

Bill Shufelt, Co-founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing, shares his journey from Wall Street to leading the non-alcoholic beer revolution. He discusses the explosive growth of the NA beer category, fueled by health-conscious consumers and changing social norms. Bill highlights how Athletic's unique flavors appeal to Gen Z and the evolving drinking preferences. He also addresses competition from beer giants and the impact of tariffs, revealing how Athletic maintains its craft identity while navigating these challenges.