Other Speakers
Marketing 101 for Designers of Great Products
Entrepreneur Perry Klebahn tells why building a good market is as essential as building a good product.
Women Still Underrepresented on Corporate Boards
Women hold roughly 15% of the seats on Fortune 500 corporate boards and the numbers are not growing rapidly, speakers told an audience of Stanford alumnae dedicated to increasing those numbers.
How the Tractor Killed the Family Farm
Matt Rothe, MBA '07, who watched his family sell their Colorado farm after five generations of ownership, today gives Stanford students lessons in eating smart as sustainable food program manager for Stanford Dining Services.
Lessons Learned from Steve Jobs
Ignore self-appointed experts bearing bad news, particularly those who say it can't be done or it won't work. This was one of many lessons learned from late Apple founder Steve Jobs, says venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki who addressed a Stanford Graduate School of Business audience.
Capital One Is Ready to Become the Biggest Virtual Bank
Today it's the nation's eighth-largest bank, but CEO Richard Fairbank, MBA '81, says Capital One is poised to become the nation's largest online banking network.
Cory Booker: High School Education is the Key to America's Success
"If you don't have a high school education in America, you are chained to limited options," Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, N.J., told the Goldman Sachs/Stanford University Global Education Conference.
Restoring Trust in Corporate Governance: The Six Essential Tasks of Boards of Directors and Business Leaders
(Quick Time Video)
White Paper 
Ben Heineman, former General Electric senior vice president and general counsel, discusses corporate governance at a program sponsored by Stanford University’s Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance.
African-American Women Are Moving Ahead Rapidly
In the United States today, two-thirds of African-American college undergrads are women, and they are going on to excel in business, particularly in entrepreneurship, says visiting scholar Katherine Phillips.
Removing Barriers for Clean Tech Energy Entrepreneurs Raises Issues
Streamlining balky government permit processes or convoluted global supply chains are just some of the challenges in the "Valley of Death" faced by fledgling clean energy firms, government officials were told during a Stanford forum.
The 2009 U.S. Auto Bailout Was Necessary, Argues Rattner
Believers in free market capitalism were appalled when the U.S. government spent $82 billion to bail out General Motors and Chrysler. But the money saved an important U.S. industry and averted a national economic catastrophe Steven Rattner, the man who led the rescue operation, told a Stanford Graduate School of Business audience.
A Sobering Look at Today's Federal Debt
The United States has recovered from high debt in the past but there are no easy solutions to today’s estimated $14 trillion bill, panelists told a business school audience.
Nonprofits Face Change as Old Charitable Funding Models Decline
Organizations such as Goodwill Industries and the Camp Fire Girls of America have endured for more than 100 years. The key to their survival is change, not more of the same, their leaders told a business school audience.
Friendster's Jonathan Abrams: Failure Is a Matter of Perspective
Jonathan Abrams, the founder and former CEO of the social networking website Friendster, was asked by MBA students how to survive the torrential waters of entrepreneurship. His response: "I don't know."
Hsieh of Zappos Takes Happiness Seriously
Since taking over as CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh has vowed to do whatever it takes to keep his employees, customers, and vendors happy. He told a business school audience his strategy leads to profits in the end.
Being Shoved out of Your Comfort Zone Can Have Advantages, says Zoe Cruz
Zoe Cruz, once one of the most powerful and highly paid women on Wall Street before her sudden ouster from investment bank Morgan Stanley in 2007, was jarred out of her comfort zone after 25 years with the firm. The experience helped her grow as a person, she told the Women in Management banquet audience.
Empowered Employees Make the Difference, says Four Seasons CEO Sharp
Hiring people who embrace the hotel's customer-focused credo had made the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts chain a success, Founder Isadore Sharp told the Entrepreneurship Conference at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. And giving the firm's font-line employees power to make decisions has added to that.
Why Full Disclosure in Securities Markets May Not Fix Finance
Creating securities with no details about the underlying mortgages "was a perfectly sensible thing to do. No greed was necessary," says economist Bengt Holmstrom. Investors often prefer investments with no publicly available information and may move on to other investments if security creators are required to disclose too much information.
Many Developing Nations Weathered Economic Crisis Better Than Richer Neighbors
The economic resilience of developing nations during the world economic crisis has been encouraging, Stanford Graduate School of Business economist Michael Spence told a student audience, but ongoing global growth needs an integrated financial strategy. Spence heads the Commission on Growth and Development.
Fact Finding in White Collar Criminal Prosecutions (video only)_
A discussion with Richard Marmaro, head of Skadden’s West Coast white collar defense practice focused on the implications of the plea bargaining process in white collar prosecutions, the influence of press coverage, the expense of conducting a defense in a complex white collar matter, and related topics. Marmaro was the lead attorney in Ruehle, a case in which a federal judge dismissed charges against defendants in the Broadcom backdating case, citing "shameful" prosecutorial misconduct and a lack of evidence. Stanford professors Joe Grundfest and Robert Weisberg joined the discussion sponsored by the Rock Center for Corporate Governance on February 10, 2010. (requires QuickTime)
Strategic Management: Routes to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Four entrepreneurs discuss the idea of acquiring a small business as a route to entrepreneurship. The participants took different routes to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA): search funds, a self-funded search, and a search sponsored by a private equity fund. Each entrepreneur share his decision making on the right time to take the path of ETA. Participants: Moderator Peter Kelly; David Kennedy, Sean Callahan, Ciaran Power, and Michael Sanabria. Recorded: Oct. 5, 2009 as part of Strategic Management 543 course.
Networking Is More Than Lots of Names, Says Heidi Roizen
Networking is more than having a hefty collection of business cards and attending A-list parties. Heidi Roizen has been a Silicon Valley CEO, a venture capitalist, and a corporate board member but “the homework never ends,” she told Stanford Graduate School of Business students.
Nobel Laureate Sharpe: There Are No Shortcuts in Investing
Although Nobel Laureate William F. Sharpe didn't give listeners any new advice about how to weather the current financial crisis and fill the holes in their portfolios, he did explain during a speech on the Stanford University campus how futile it is to read sure-thing investing books or watch the latest financial guru to find easy answers.
Steve Ballmer Paints Optimistic Picture for 2009 Grads
There is plenty of room for technological innovation in the fields of health and science and venture money to fund young entrepreneurs Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, MBA Class '81, told a Stanford audience.
Just Translating It into Spanish Isn’t Enough
to Reach Hispanic Audiences
Four Hollywood media experts agree successful niche marketing requires starting from scratch to reach each distinct audience segment. “Whatever market you’re targeting, you must approach that market freshly and sell to it,” one speaker, writer and producer Roberto Orci Jr., told a Stanford Business School audience.
Women are Still Scarce in Top-Level Business Positions
Their numbers have grown in business schools and throughout the corporate world. But women still have a long way to go before they become a significant presence in top-level business jobs, Deborah Zoullas, MBA ’78 told the 2008 Women in Management banquet audience.
Why I Came to Business School
"Change lives, change organizations, change the world," was just a slogan to John Russ, MBA ’08, until a GSB alum showed him one way it becomes concrete.
Immigration for Entrepreneurs (Audio)
Malcolm Goeschl describes different visa options for foreign nationals who want to work for US startups, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each option (CPT/OPT, H-1B, O-1, E-2, B-1, and others) for students coming out of grad school. Relevant for foreign nationals who want to start a business in the United States after graduation and for anyone who aims to hire foreign nationals for a startup. The program was sponsored by the business school's MBA student Entrepreneur Club.
Global Firms Must Understand Local Practices
Establishing Eli Lilly’s operations in China in the mid 1990s was complicated because the firm didn’t understand local dynamics, including how top employees would react to peers being promoted, the firm’s Chief Marketing Officer Robert Brown told a Business School audience.
Newsom: Politics Needs More Risk-Taking
San Francisco’s Charismatic mayor Gavin Newsom, who four years ago ordered San Francisco to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples, talked to a Business School audience about the need for politicians to take risks and described the personal and professional price he has paid for taking bold positions on controversial issues.
Criticism May Produce Innovation, Wal-Mart CEO Scott Says
Wal-Mart’s innovative approach to environmental sustainability and its addition of health care services to stores were partly triggered by critics of the company in other areas.
Pondering the Ethics of Global Business
Ethical dilemmas such as selling other nations scanners that can tell the sex of an unborn child or kerosene heaters without safety features available in the United States were debated during a discussion on “Academic vs. Real World Ethics” led by Professor David Brady.
Corporate Boards Seek More Women Directors
Just 15 percent of board seats for Fortune 500 companies are women, but women who have managed profit-and-loss units are more likely to be recruited for positions. A sold-out event in New York for Business School alumnae discussed “How and Why to Join a Board.”
Who Should Tell the Global Warming Story?
Global warming and environmental deterioration has not played a major role in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign. Journalists and environmentalists at a Business School panel discussion debated just why this issue isn’t higher on the national agenda.
Balancing Career and Family Isn't Getting Easier
Women have to be very strategic in balancing family and career goals. Hard work and fairness won’t guarantee you a path to the top and a satisfied family life, Myra Hart advised an audience of Stanford women MBAs.
Wozniak Reflects on Founding Apple Computer
"You are not going to be too successful unless it’s in your heart and is your passion," Apple Computer cofounder Steve Wozniak told a Stanford Graduate School of Business.
First Generation Entrepreneurs Build the Chinese Market
Says Baidu's Wang
China today is poised to become a global powerhouse but its entrepreneurs face major challenges as they chart their roadmaps to success without the network that exists in the United States, said Shawn Wang, CFO of the Chinese internet giant Baidu.
Autodesk CFO Offers Road Map for Aspiring Financial Officers
It isn't enough to be a financial whiz, Autodesk CFO Al Castino told students and faculty at the annual Arjay Miller lecture. Adept CFOs must be able to convince other people that their ideas are the right ones. (May 2007)
Don’t Sell Yourself Short Advise Women in Management Banquet Speakers
Michelle Clayman created an asset management firm that invests $6 billion. Christiana Shi became a partner at McKinsey & Co. Their experiences were spotlighted at the 2007 Women in Management banquet. (May 2007)
Stanford Business School Honors Steven Denning with 2007 Excellence in Leadership Award
Each year, the Business School marks the importance of leadership in business by highlighting the achievements of a Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus/a who has made significant contributions to the corporate world and the community. (April 2007)
Steve Denning video, (41 minutes)
BP's John Browne Lists Priorities for Combating Global Warming
Ten years after he broke ranks with much of the oil industry and delivered a landmark Stanford address that acknowledged the link between fossil fuels and global warming, BP Group Chief Executive John Browne returned to Stanford on April 26 to discuss the most urgent steps needed to minimize carbon dioxide emissions. (April 2007)
Black Business Students Association Conference: Robert Dale, MBA '73, Keynote Speaker
Robert Dale described challenges he faced as an advertising executive. He was the keynote of the 2007 Black Business Student Association conference. (March 2007) Video File, (47 minutes)
Women in Management: Carly Fiorina Didn't Want To Be Just a Female Boss
Carly Fiorina shared highlights of her career, including stories of human nature—and hairstyles—in the boardroom, during a speech sponsored by the Women in Management club. (October 2006)
Video File, (56:31 minutes, RealPlayer® format)
2006 Alumni Weekend: Run as Fast as You Can: The Red Queen of Competition Improves Organizational Performance
Organizations that don't keep changing eventually become punished for being really good at what used to be rewarded, according to Professor William Barnett. Like the Red Queen of Alice in Wonderland, businesses have to move fast to keep even with the competition. (October 2006)
Arjay Miller Lecture: Moody's CFO Linda Huber Has Instituted Changes
Moody's Chief Financial Officer Linda Huber, MBA '86, says she has honed her finance and human resource goals down to four: drive growth and profitability, support the line business, create an excellent control environment, and make Moody's a great place to work. (June 2006)
Business Principles Don't Always Work in the Classroom
The current success of the charter school movement owes some credit to successfully applying business standards, says Professor Debra Meyerson. In other cases, however, such standards may backfire and actually hurt student learning. (March 2006)
Capital One Chief Shares Entrepreneurial Advice at Award Dinner
Spot a trend, work backward from where you think the market is going, and hire only the best, Richard Fairbank, the CEO of Capital One, advises would-be entrepreneurs. (April 2006)
Katrina Produces Questions, Not Answers
A discussion of the issues of race and class that emerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina argued the disaster brought Americans out of a sense of complacency and forced them to address some long simmering issues in society. (November 2005)
No More Mr. Tough Guy
Peter Georgescu, MBA '63, the advertising superstar who brought us the “softer side of Sears,” is now advocating that we see the softer side of the CEO. (October 2005)
Herbert Allison Jr.: A Leader from War Room to Board Room
The soft skills he learned at the Stanford Graduate School of Business were far more important than the concrete disciplines of finance and accounting in terms of business success, said Herb Allison, the 2005 Excellence in Leadership Award recipient. "To understand why, you need look no further than the scandals that have engulfed one company after another in recent years. Virtually all of them can be traced to breakdowns in the organization's culture." (April 2005)
Alumni Weekend, October 2004
Each fall and spring, classes are invited back to campus to catch up with classmates, participate in learning opportunities, and reconnect with the GSB.
- A Little Uncertainty In Monetary Policy Can Be a Good Thing
- Creating Value in the Employment Relationships
- How Are the Red Sox Like a Shoe Company?
Dean Robert Joss Speaks to Australian Executives
In a wide-ranging conversation with Lincoln Parker of Invest Australia, Stanford Graduate School of Business Dean Robert Joss speaks before members of Advance, a network of Australian executives working in the United States. Joss and Parker talk about management education, what it takes to be a good manager, Australian management, and Westpac, one of Australia's largest banking groups. Before joining the Business School in 1999, Joss oversaw a turnaround at Westpac as its CEO. (September 2004)
Keep Your Values Public Management Program Founder Tells 2004 Grads
Public Management Program founder and emeritus GSB Dean Arjay Miller congratulated 134 PMP certificate recipients and urged the largest cohort in the program's 33-year history to stay true to their core values and continue to work toward solving pressing social problems. (June 2004)
Separate Leadership from Narcissism, Fisher Warns
Good management is about contributing to society, not about personal interest, Richard Fisher told an MBA Admit Weekend audience. Wealthy people without courage and integrity exhibit narcissism, not management skills. (May 2004)
'93 Graduate Held in Chinese Prison Is Topic of Alumni Weekend Panel
Jude Shao, MBA '93, has spent five years in Shanghai prisons and is asking China's Supreme Court to order a new trial on charges his company failed to pay taxes. His Business School classmates have mounted a campaign to bring attention to his case. From August 2003 issue of Stanford Business.
The Business of Food
It took venture capitalists over a year to figure out why Maurice Werdegar, MBA '92,, would want to become a restaurant entrepreneur. He and Ed Levine, MBA '81, discussed the fun and trials of being restaurateurs. (April 2003)
U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, MBA '67, Describes Life in Congress
Jim Kolbe, MBA '67, one two current members of Congress who are Business School graduates, says the MBA was not a sure ticket to winning election. (October 2002)
Humanitarian Action Must Remain Independent in Conflict Zones, Says Doctors Without Borders Exec
The pioneering humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders cannot join the U.S.-led anti-terrorism initiative pushed by Colin Powell and other world leaders because it would violate one of the group' s core philosophies, Nicolas de Torrent, executive director of the U.S. office of Doctors Without Borders, told a Business School audience. (February 2002)
Faculty Experts Discuss the U.S. Response to Terrorism
Six Stanford scholars discuss the Sept. 11th terrorist attack and what the aftermath may entail for the U.S. and for the world. (October 2001)
Intel's Andrew Grove: The Real Growth in E-Commerce is Yet to Come
Dot-coms aren't dead and the real growth in e-commerce is only beginning, Intel Corp. chairman and founder
Andy Grove told an audience at the Graduate School of Business. (May 2001)
Bill Joy Contemplates the Impact of Technology on the Future of Humanity
Bill Joy, the chief scientist of Sun Microsystems, sounded a clear and urgent warning against the unrestricted consequences of the rapid advancement and convergence of genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR). (April 2001)
High Tech CEOs McNealy, Andreessen Discuss Interest Rates, Dot.com Shakeout
Sun Microsystems chief Scott McNealy voiced unease about the economy, calling for a lowering of interest rates to give a fillip to investments in technology. (January 2001)
Managing Humanitarian Efforts Can Be More Challenging
than Launching an IPO
Managing humanitarian efforts can be more challenging than launching a startup Joelle Tanguy, U.S. executive director of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), told a Stanford Business School audience.