Bold Names

The Wall Street Journal

WSJ’s Bold Names brings you conversations with the leaders of the bold-named companies featured in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. Hosts Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims speak to CEOs and business leaders in interviews that challenge conventional wisdom and take you inside the decisions being made in the C-suite and beyond.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 25 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

#297
April 10 · 25 min
McDonald's CEO on Going Viral, the Big Arch and the Fast-Food Value War
When McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski took a small bite out of a big burger on camera, the internet—and his rivals—pounced. But in an era where CEOs are the face of the brand, is there such a thing as bad publicity? In this episode of Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Kempczinski at McDonald's Chicago headquarters to discuss the fallout of his viral moment. Plus, they dive deep into the fast food giant’s strategy to compete by balancing a premium half-pound burger against the urgent n
#296
April 3 · 27 min
Roses, Revenue, and Retention: Hinge’s Strategy for a $1 Billion Year
For years, dating app Hinge’s slogan has been “Designed to be Deleted” — a bold mission for a company on track to hit $1 billion in annual revenue in the coming years. In this episode of Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Hinge’s new CEO, Jackie Jantos, to discuss the high-stakes evolution of digital romance. How is the company working to remain relevant with Gen Z? Is the rise of AI companions changing real-life dating? And what does the future hold for Hinge’s “Roses”? To watch the v
#295
March 27 · 26 min
The Five Step 'Algorithm' Driving Tesla’s Success
What is the trick behind the Elon Musk school of management? In this episode of Bold Names, host Tim Higgins sits down with Jon McNeill, the former president of Tesla and current GM board member, to deconstruct the operating system that powered Tesla’s growth during his tenure. McNeill explains why he thinks automation should always come last, how to inject urgency into a corporate culture, and whether companies need an Elon Musk to reach the heights of innovation. To watch the video version of
#294
March 20 · 25 min
Southwest’s $1 Billion Pivot: CEO Bob Jordan on Bag Fees And Other Changes
Southwest Airlines was built on three pillars: low fares, friendly service, and a quirky "sit anywhere" policy. But in a post-pandemic market, the rules are changing. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, CEO Bob Jordan joins host Tim Higgins to discuss one of the airline’s most transformational periods in its 60-year history. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com. Check Out Past Episodes: How SAP's CEO Is Remak
#293
March 13 · 28 min
The SEAL Turned CEO: Brandon Tseng on the AI-Powered Future of War
Former Navy SEAL and Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng is building the autonomous drones that are redefining global defense.This week on Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Tseng to discuss how Shield AI’s Hivemind software is currently overcoming GPS jamming in Ukraine, and why the future of the U.S. military depends on a mix of elite manned assets and swarms of affordable, autonomous drones. Editor’s Note: This interview was recorded before the war with Iran. To watch the video versi
#292
March 6 · 24 min
The AI Agent in Your Pocket: Qualcomm’s CEO on the Future of Mobile
The smartphone is everywhere, but its next evolution won’t look like the apps we use today. In this episode of Bold Names, WSJ’s Tim Higgins sits down with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon to discuss the seismic shift from apps to AI agents – and why this transition could reshape everything from your phone to your glasses. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com. Check Out Past Episodes: How SAP's CEO Is Remaking the European Tec
#291
February 27 · 26 min
Can Zillow’s 'Super App' Fix a Broken Housing Market?
"Depressed." That’s how Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman describes the current state of the U.S. housing market. With sales hitting 30-year lows and a deficit of nearly 5 million homes, the American dream of homeownership feels further away than ever for many. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Wacksman joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss how Zillow is pivoting to become a "housing super app" and why he believes the solution to affordability is a local supply revolution. To watch the vide
#290
February 20 · 23 min
Why Cigna’s CEO Is Confident We Can Fix American Healthcare
How do we fix the American healthcare system? On this episode of Bold Names, we ask David Cordani, the chairman and CEO of one of America’s biggest health insurers – the Cigna Group. He says rising healthcare costs are driven by two powerful forces: growing demand for care and increasingly expensive new drugs and treatments. But Cordani is still optimistic. He joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins and David Wainer to explain what role insurers play in bringing down costs and how the U.S. can make healthcare m
#289
February 13 · 33 min
Encore: Can IBM Beat Microsoft and Google in the Quantum Computing Race?
IBM has made a comeback in the past six years under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna. That's thanks to success in its hybrid cloud business and consulting services. But even as the company is reinventing itself again for the AI era, Krishna is already betting that quantum computing is the next big thing. Will Big Blue succeed against rivals like Microsoft and Google who are racing to make their own quantum breakthroughs? And how is the company learning from its past mistakes with Watson AI?
#288
February 6 · 23 min
‘We Sell Scarcity:’ How Lamborghini Continues to Stay So Cool
Lamborghinis dominate pop culture – from rap lyrics to blockbuster movies – but the reality is few people actually own them. Every year, the luxury carmaker delivers around 10,000 vehicles worldwide. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann says that scarcity is central to the brand’s appeal. On Bold Names, Winkelmann joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to explain how the company leans into exclusivity, why it’s choosing hybrids over a fully electric future, and how tariffs and global trade pressures are challeng
#287
January 30 · 24 min
How SAP's CEO Is Remaking the European Tech Giant For The Age Of AI
In 2020, SAP CEO Christian Klein decided to shift the 50-year-old German software giant entirely to the cloud. The immediate result? The stock price dropped 20% in a single day. Fast-forward to today: SAP is one of the most valuable companies in Europe. In this episode of Bold Names, Klein joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss navigating that tumult, the cultural overhaul required to modernize the company, and why Europe needs to focus on applied AI to compete with the U.S. and China. To watch the
#286
January 23 · 24 min
How Athletic Brewing Sells Beer for a Post-Alcohol Generation
When Bill Shufelt left Wall Street to make non-alcoholic beer, most people thought he was crazy. At the time, the category made up less than 1% of U.S. beer sales and was widely seen as a joke. But nearly a decade later, Shufelt’s company Athletic Brewing is at the center of a major cultural shift around health and wellness. On this episode of Bold Names, he joins Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to talk about the rise of non-alcoholic beer, how his company is navigating President Trump’s tariff
#285
January 16 · 27 min
How Corning Is Using Trump’s Tariffs To Its Advantage
Corning is everywhere: from the fiber optic cables powering the internet to the Gorilla Glass on your iPhone. Now, the 175-year-old company is making domestic manufacturing profitable. In this week’s episode of Bold Names, CEO Wendell Weeks sits down with WSJ's Christopher Mims to discuss how he plays the long game with technology investments and why his company is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the Trump administration’s tariffs and industrial policy. To watch the video version of thi
#284
January 9 · 24 min
Affirm’s Max Levchin: Why ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Beats Credit Cards
Is "buy now, pay later" a debt trap or the future of finance? Affirm CEO Max Levchin says the real problem is the credit card in your wallet. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, Levchin joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss how his early days as a co-founder of PayPal led him to his latest venture: using “buy now, pay later” loans to reinvent how people buy things. We talk about why he thinks financing is more transparent than credit, the personal reason he hates late fees and how AI is changing
#283
January 2 · 1 min
Even More Bold Names in 2026
Bold Names is gearing up to be bigger and bolder than ever in 2026. Get ready for another year of the best minds in business and tech going deep on the latest industry moves. From the C-suite of tech companies like SAP, Qualcomm and Affirm, to leaders from Lamborghini, Southwest Airlines and Chobani, WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins will be back next week to kick off a new year of conversations with the leaders shaping tomorrow. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Pod
#282
Dec 26, 2025 · 29 min
Encore: This CEO Says Humanoid Robots Are The "Space Race" of Our Time
Who will take care of you in old age? Jeff Cardenas, the CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, says the answer is robots. The startup founder set out to build a smart, dexterous robot after watching his grandfathers grow old and dependent in their later years. Beyond healthcare, Cardenas sees robots as essential to U.S. economic growth and national security with applications across industries. Even with the latest advances in artificial intelligence and hardware, what will it take for humanoid robots
#281
Dec 23, 2025 · 36 min
SPECIAL WSJ’s Take On the Week: How This Fed Hawk Views the Economy, Inflation, AI and Jobs
As a special bonus, we’re bringing you an episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week. Co-host Telis Demos and guest host WSJ Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos are joined by Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, to discuss the state of the U.S economy, interest rates and the central bank itself. Hammack shares her views on what she’s hearing from businesses in her district and what that could mean for consumer prices and the labor market. She emphasizes the importanc
#280
Dec 19, 2025 · 21 min
The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026
In this special episode, Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims revisit some of their favorite moments from the first year of Bold Names. We look back on conversations with guests including Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the explosive growth of AI and the complexities of the U.S.-China trade war. Then, Mims and Higgins flip the script to interview each other about the technological breakthroughs and geopolitical shifts that defined 2025 — and ask if
#279
Dec 12, 2025 · 23 min
Inside PlayStation's Plans to Lead a $200 Billion Industry
Gaming is a $200 billion industry that dwarfs Hollywood — and PlayStation is at the center of it all. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, Sony Interactive Entertainment SVP Eric Lempel joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to discuss how the company plans to compete in a mobile-first gaming world. We talk about keeping the “soul” of game development as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into businesses, the success of games like “Fortnite” and “The Last of Us,” and what the
#278
Dec 5, 2025 · 28 min
McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour
What business lessons are forged at 200 miles per hour? On this week’s Bold Names, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown joins Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to talk about his new book, “Seven Tenths of a Second.” A racecar driver turned executive, Brown leads a global racing organization worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We talk about the pressure and focus required to run a winning Formula One team, and what racing has taught Brown about leading a competitive business. To watch the video version

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes