As President and CEO of Steinberg Hart, David Hart leads with intention, thoughtfully prioritizing his time and reinforcing the idea that every decision truly matters. When asked about his daily responsibilities, he distinguishes between what he does and what he should do. His main focus is staying connected to the true meaning of leadership, mainly, making “sure that we’re always looking ahead, as fundamentally, our job is to invent the future.”
Read MoreAlec Konstantin, Chief Operating Officer at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, spoke at Business Today’s 51st International Conference about law and leadership. He emphasized a key point: “People won’t see the picture until you put it in the right frame.” For him, framing is essential, not just decorative, as it enables action on complex ideas and commitments.
Read MoreThe typical corporation consists of several employees, managers, directors, the C-level executives, investors, and, most importantly, the primary CEO. But not at Standard Fiber. Chad Altbaier, co-CEO of Standard Fiber, emphasizes the uniqueness of being an industry leader unconventionally. Drawing on years of experience in the textile industry, from his time at a family business through his jump to Standard Fiber, Altbaier reflects on his role as co-CEO and how that has shaped him into the leader he is today.
Read MoreMark Sabbagh doesn't wait. As founder, investor, and CEO leading the trading and appliance group at Diamond Trading Group, and most recently advising Bazzar.ai on resale strategy, his career is built on moving fast in markets that won't hold still. At Business Today's 51st International Conference, he talked students through what that actually looks like: the gut calls, the pressure, the loneliness, and the long view that holds it all together.
Read MoreFormer secretary of Tiffany & Co. and current General Counsel of prestige hair care brand Olaplex, John Duffy, visited his alma mater on April 2nd. His presentation to Princeton students ranged from a discussion of the pressures of working for an up-and-coming company, the importance of rebranding, and how to take advantage of opportunities at Princeton.
Read MoreCourtney Harrison, founder of Medius Advisory Group, has led hundreds of successful organizations, including Fortune 500 companies like Nike, Microsoft, and American Express, as well as startups such as Tesla and Asurion. Among her 25 years of consulting, her most memorable role was Chief of Human Resources & Event Services at the United States Olympic Committee in 2008.
Read MoreStan Rubin is no stranger to risks, especially as he approaches his 50th year in the finance industry. Taking them, managing them, overcoming them; Rubin has done it all. His professional journey began in 1977 at PricewaterhouseCoopers, before he took on his first big role as Chief Financial Officer at American Express's Singapore-based Japan/Asia Pacific/Australia Region in 2001.
Read MoreKarla Johnson, CEO of Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, shares her journey to this position and the important skills she’s developed through her experiences.
Read MoreHe sees AI not as a replacement for human intuition but as a tool to enhance decision-making and create financial opportunities that were previously inaccessible to everyday investors. “The future of AI is about empowering people,” he said. By focusing on transparency, fostering innovation within his team, and designing products that genuinely address consumer needs, Kailas is positioning Prospero.ai as a leader in ethical and transformative financial solutions.
Read MoreEqually important is staying true to yourself. “Don’t be afraid of being different,” she says. She recalled how she embodied this ethos when she balanced her demanding career as a Wall Street banker with her passion for ballroom dancing. “I was a straight-laced banker by day and a ballroom dancer by night.”
Read MoreParker continuously emphasizes that memorization is not a substitute for comprehension. Success in professional exams requires more than rote memorization. “The questions on exams today aren’t just about recall,” he notes. “You really have to understand the content to apply it.” To ensure students understand, Parker employs real-world examples to make complex financial concepts relatable.
Read MoreIn particular, integrity is a moral that became vital to her as she made decisions in her leadership role. “When you’re in a leadership role,” Govia said, “you sometimes have to make tough decisions that people won’t like and sometimes you have to execute decisions that you won’t necessarily agree with.” Amongst the challenges that come with her role, integrity has helped her stay grounded.
Read MoreReed’s advocacy for education stems from his recognition of its transformative power. “If I could go back to my younger self, I’d emphasize the importance of understanding what it takes to live the life you want,” he said. His advice to students is simple but profound: combine a strong grounding in technology with a clear sense of purpose, and you’ll be prepared to navigate the challenges of the modern world.
Read MoreTed also discussed the importance of recruiting and hiring hardworking and loyal staff: “I get some really, really great people.” He emphasized the importance of learning to cooperate effectively with others, mentioning that students will forget about their statistics classes but will remember the classes that give insight into working with people. He no longer works with people who bring down the energy of the room, and highlighted that he makes decisions constantly about whether a problem brought to him should be listened to, empathized with, or dismissed, because time is an asset and a nonrenewable resource.
Read MoreWhen it comes to networking, he encourages students to take small, consistent steps—such as meeting one finance professional each month during college—to accumulate a valuable network of contacts before even starting one’s professional journey. Marks emphasizes the power of incremental growth in skills and knowledge, stating, “If you are compounding your learning, you’re learning a little bit about something every day, [even if it’s] just a 1% change. It’s those 1% gains every day that you look back over 20 years. You’re thinking, ‘I’m really happy that I started doing that 20 years ago.’” His advice reinforces the idea that long-term success is the result of intentional and steady effort rather than overnight breakthroughs.
Read MoreAs WorkJam scaled from a startup into a global enterprise, one of Clements’ priorities was to establish core values collaboratively with employees. “Your brand is your most valuable asset besides your product,” she emphasized. These values are not just words but principles that guide decision-making. WorkJam’s team evaluates their campaigns against these values, ensuring that every email, project, and message aligns with the company’s mission.
Read More“I think it's good to do things that you're passionate about and do things that will serve you in your career, of course, but our careers will ebb and flow into different directions. They always take a different path than we anticipate a lot of times, so not getting too hung up on that, I think, is important,” he said. In terms of advice for undergraduate students, he believes that in a smaller company, someone starting their career can learn what they like.
Read MoreCwik had a key insight regarding users’ behavior: people juggle countless apps and lists, creating inefficiency and stress. However, privacy concerns and switching costs made it difficult to unify those tools without resistance. “I didn’t know what an MVP was,” Cwik explained. “I didn’t know about switching costs or how to build a successful marketing strategy.”
Read More“Every time you [take risks], you get a little bit more confidence that you can do the next one… It’s about pushing yourself to learn and to take on challenges.” Wolfe views risk not as a burden but as an opportunity for growth, creativity, and self-discovery, encouraging others to embrace change rather than fear it.
Read More“When you're in the government service, you're generally a risk-averse person,” Wilcox said. “I learn something new [now] every day about the types of businesses that are out there, the finance aspect of it, the laws you have to comply with, [things that] have nothing to do with export controls and sanctions that pertain to actually owning and running a business.”
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