Fortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry

Episoade

• 
  Bill Ackman's takes on Mamdani, Trump and investing in the AI era 05.08.2026 1h

  Pershing Square Founder and CEO Bill Ackman got his start by cold-calling multi-millionaires and billionaires for startup capital. Today, the billionaire hedge fund manager is a leading voice both on Wall St. and online, where he frequently shares candid opinions about investing, politics, and culture to about 2.7 million X followers.  In this episode, Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell speaks with Ackman about his insights into today’s market, how he recovered from a multi-billion dollar loss, and his perspectives on President Trump and American politics. Chapters 00:00 Cold Open 01:08 Advertisement 03:19 Ackman’s market insights 05:06 Why Ackman loves Uber 07:38 SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI IPOs 11:33 Ackman’s polarizing online presence 15:02 President Trump and Trump Accounts 18:13 Effective philanthropy 27:01 Becoming Bill Ackman 31:41 Cold-Calling the Forbes 400 35:03 Ackman’s biggest wins 40:52 Investing like Buffet 44:34 Ackman’s biggest losses 52:11 Pershing Square’s company culture 56:32 What’s next for Bill Ackman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  FedEx CEO: AI Could Help Fix A $1.8 Trillion Global Supply Chain Problem 15.07.2026 47min

  For the first time in the company's history, FedEx has surpassed UPS in market value. Handling roughly 18 million packages a day, FedEx is acutely aware of how tariffs and geopolitical tensions have disrupted the global supply chain. As it enters its AI era, the company is leveraging artificial intelligence to predict and address these obstacles head-on. In this episode, Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell sits down with FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam to discuss how AI is transforming logistics, how tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and shifting manufacturing hubs are reshaping global supply chains, and what's next for one of the world's largest transportation companies. 00:00 Introduction 01:08 How FedEx Sees the Global Economy 06:21 How a Package Travels Around the World 08:21 Leading 500,000 Employees 16:54 From Entry-Level Analyst to CEO 20:24 Leading Change at FedEx 21:43 Reinventing a 50-Year-Old Company 28:20 Why FedEx Is Betting Big on AI 33:17 The Future of Autonomous Delivery 38:51 Leadership Advice for the Next Generation of CEOs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  $4 Trillion Savings Gap: TIAA’s CEO on The Retirement Crisis 17.06.2026 55min

  For more than 100 years, TIAA has helped millions of Americans — from educators to healthcare workers to public servants — turn their savings into guaranteed income they cannot outlive. Today, the company is expanding beyond its traditional 403(b) roots, pioneering lifetime income solutions inside 401(k) plans and using AI to better protect and serve participants. In this episode, Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell sits down with TIAA President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett to discuss America’s growing retirement crisis, the importance of lifetime income, and how TIAA is using technology and partnerships to build a more secure future for retirees.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  AI Takeover: Qualcomm’s Big Bet on AI Agents, Robots and 6G | Titans and Disruptors 06.05.2026 49min

  For over 40 years, Qualcomm technology has powered some of the world’s most transformational technological advancements. Today, the company is moving beyond smartphones, building a future with wearable AI, humanoid robots, and a 6G cellular network. In this episode, Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell speaks with Qualcomm’s President and CEO Cristiano Amon to discuss the company’s commitment to constant reinvention and why Amon is optimistic about the AI revolution. 00:00 Introduction 02:55 Intro to Qualcomm 04:36 Current state of AI 07:38 Amon and 6G 13:30 New relationships with smart devices 20:19 What will be the next smartphone 25:49 Diversifying Qualcomm’s business 30:44 Qualcomm’s culture of reinvention 32:08 Qualcomm’s move into data centers 38:17 Qualcomm robotics 42:51 Trust in AI 46:19 Amon’s techno-optimism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  The $8+ Billion Partnership: How Delta and Amex Redefined the Business of Flying | Titans and Disruptors 01.04.2026 43min

  From one of the largest bankruptcies in U.S. history to leading the industry in market capitalization and premium customer satisfaction, Delta Air Lines has rewritten the business of flying in the last two decades.  In this episode, Fortune's Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell sits down with CEO Ed Bastian at Delta’s Atlanta headquarters to discuss the strategic maneuvers behind the airline’s resurgence. Bastian details his 'people-first' leadership philosophy, the evolution of the lucrative American Express partnership, and his vision for the future of travel, from AI-powered concierge services to the launch of flying taxis. 00:00 Intro 01:36 Advertisement 03:05 Bastian’s personal background 04:21 Executive training at Pepsi 06:14 Uncovering fraud at J. Walter Thompson 07:23 Delta files for bankruptcy 8:08 Bastian’s return to Delta 09:43 Delta’s turnaround playbook 11:37 Delta’s post-bankruptcy restructuring 13:55 Billion-dollar profit-sharing program 15:36 Sharing wealth with employees 16:21 Bastian’s people-first commitment 16:48 Becoming a CEO 17:45 Transitioning from CFO to CEO 19:04 Becoming comfortable as a CEO 19:45 Shifting communication styles as CEO 21:40 Staying in the know 22:13 Leading employees through down times 24:32 Bastian’s no-furlough strategy 26:06 Delta / AMEX partnership 29:14 Credit card interest rates 30:25 Creating brand trust and loyalty 33:39 Delta’s next 100 years 34:14 Balancing AI with people 36:56 Staying updated on AI 38:13 AI’s impact on air travel 39:15 Sustainable travel 40:08 Flying taxis 40:57 Delta’s five-to-ten year strategy 42:04 Bastian’s leadership advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  The end of work: Vinod Khosla's bold AI prediction | Titans and Disruptors 04.03.2026 37min

  What if AI made your paycheck optional? Vinod Khosla, one of the world's greatest venture capitalists and an early backer of AI, believes the technology will take over 80% of labor, freeing humans to live on passion instead.His track record backs up the boldness, as early bets on OpenAI, DoorDash, Instacart, and Square have made him one of the most consequential investors of our time.In this episode of Titans, Khosla sits down with Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell to unpack his abundant vision for the AI future, what government policy should tackle for a more equitable 2040, and what the U.S. needs to do to win the global AI race.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  Google’s AI boss made OpenAI issue code red. Now he wants to solve disease. | Titans and Disruptors 11.02.2026 29min

  Google DeepMind founder and CEO Sir Demis Hassabis is a master chess player, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and - as of 2024 - a Knight. Today, as a leader within Google’s booming AI team, Hassabis wants to make AI the “engine” driving the entire company.In this episode of Fortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry, Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell sits down with Hassabis at the World Economic Forum in Davos to talk about how he and his companies are using AI to cure cancer, build universal agents, and move the world towards a future of “radical abundance.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  Pfizer CEO took on COVID. Now he wants to cure cancer | Titans and Disruptors 27.01.2026 49min

  Dr. Albert Bourla became Pfizer’s CEO months before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the US. Under his leadership, Pfizer manufactured 3 billion doses of the first FDA-approved vaccine in the first year, which led to record-breaking earnings. Yet over the past few years, post-pandemic sales slumps, patent cliffs and vaccine skepticism have driven down Pfizer’s earnings. In this episode of Fortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry, Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell sits down with Bourla to talk about how he is answering this new set of challenges with science, innovation and optimistic leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  Kamala Harris says the ‘Glass Cliff’ Suggests Finality: “I’m Not Into That” 15.10.2025 33min

  It’s been one year since Vice President Kamala Harris and then-Democratic nominee was coming down to her final days of the 2024 presidential campaign against Donald Trump. She spent 107 days on the road in a bid to earn their vote, but it wasn’t enough. Almost one year later, she’s had time to reflect. In a wide-ranging conversation at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women summit, Harris joined Fortune’s Editor in Chief Alyson Shontell at the Washington National Cathedral to discuss the growing divides between Republicans and Democrats, how the government is not meeting Americans’ basic needs, and why not inviting Elon Musk to the White House was a “mistake”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  Jamie Dimon on What Kills Companies and the Key to Business Leadership 15.10.2025 45min

  JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has led the nation's largest financial institution through times of disruption for two decades. As Dimon navigates today's world of generative AI, President Trump's policies, and the effects on the global economy, Dimon sat down with Fortune's Editor-in-Chief, Alyson Shontell, to discuss these topics at the Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C. Dimon shares his thoughts on Washington, as the government is currently shut down, and Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist leading polls in the New York City mayoral race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  How Ramp's Eric Glyman Built a $22.5 Billion Startup in 2,367 Days 18.09.2025 29min

  Ramp CEO Eric Glyman has helped build one of fintech’s fastest-growing startups — hitting $1 billion in annualized revenue, serving 45,000 businesses, and soaring to a $22.5 billion valuation in just 2,367 days. In this episode of Fortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry, he sits down with Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell to break down Ramp’s meteoric rise, the business model flipping corporate cards on their head, and why he believes speed and focus are the keys to scaling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 
  Julie Sweet’s Path From Lawyer to Leading 770,000 People 28.08.2025 58min

  AI is rewriting the rules of business — and Accenture CEO Julie Sweet says reinvention is the only way Fortune 500s will survive. In the debut episode of Fortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry, Sweet sits down with Fortune’s Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell to reveal how she’s nearly doubled Accenture’s value, grown its workforce to 770,000, and kept the company thriving through disruption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices