Straight Talk with Hank Paulson

Evan Medeiros (Professor and Penner Chair in Asian Studies (China), Georgetown University) joins Hank on Straight Talk to discuss US-China relations and balancing the world powers’ intensifying competition with economic interdependence. He shares insights on the rapid decoupling between the West and Russia and potential impacts on the US-China relationship, expectations for China’s 20th Party Congress, and America’s economic and diplomatic engagement in the Indo-Pacific. Evan Medeiros: https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/0033600001FP3ogAAD/evan-medeiros

Henry Kissinger (Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc. and 56th Secretary of State) joins Hank on Straight Talk to discuss how coming to America after fleeing Nazi Germany shaped his worldview, getting his start in politics, and working with the world’s most consequential leaders—something he delves into in his latest book. He shares insights into US-China relations, US diplomacy today, and technology and the challenges and opportunities emerging from AI. Episode transcript: http://www.paulsoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/HP-with-HK-transcript.pdf Henry Kissinger: https://www.henryakissinger.com/ Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Six-Studies-World-Strategy/dp/0593489446/

Neel Kashkari joins Hank on Straight Talk to discuss how studying engineering was fundamental to his career trajectory, public service and working at the Treasury, education, and crisis management. He shares insights into current economic concerns, including inflation and secular stagflation, and how lessons learned from managing other crises can be applied to addressing climate change. Neel Kashkari: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/people/neel-kashkari

Hank welcomes Jim Coulter (Executive Chairman and Director, TPG) to Straight Talk to discuss private equity performance, the evolution of the finance industry and his career, leading on climate and social impact investing, and lessons from the global financial crisis. He shares his principles for successful business leadership and how his early job running his family’s farm shaped him. Jim Coulter: https://shareholders.tpg.com/board-member-management/jim-coulter TPG: https://www.tpg.com/

Sara Menker (Founder and CEO, Gro Intelligence) joins Hank on Straight Talk to discuss the impact growing up in Africa had on her, global food security and climate change, and founding Gro Intelligence to address the fundamental flaws in our food system. She shares insights into how data and information become infrastructure to drive systematic change in the agriculture industry, measuring climate risks in agricultural supply chains, and her advice for governments dealing with climate change and food security. Gro Intelligence: https://gro-intelligence.com/

Hank welcomes Jason Furman (Professor of Practice at Harvard University and former Chairman, Council of Economic Advisors) to discuss today’s economy, inflation, and how we got here. Furman shares his insights into the leadership styles of presidents Clinton and Obama, America’s role as a global leader, and trade policy. Jason Furman: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/jason-furman

Jeremy Grantham, CBE (Co-Founder and Long-Term Investment Strategist of Grantham, Mayo, & van Otterloo) joins Hank Paulson on Straight Talk to discuss growing up in the UK in the backdrop of World War II, starting his own investment firm, and making sense of today’s market. He shares insights into combining philanthropy with his investment principles to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, greening the energy system, and the need for capitalism reform to increase equity, growth, and advancement. Jeremy Grantham: https://www.gmo.com/americas/people/firm-management/ GMO: https://www.gmo.com/americas/

Hank welcomes Penny Pritzker (Founder and chairman of PSP Partners and 38th US Secretary of Commerce) to Straight Talk. They discuss driving change in business and government, learning entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and her family’s roots in Ukraine. She shares insights into how Chicago shaped her, succeeding in business and serving in government, and her principles of leadership. Penny Pritzker: http://ptfound.org/who/team/penny-pritzker/

Patricia Zurita (CEO of Birdlife International) joins Hank to discuss efforts to help China protect and preserve coastal wetlands, migratory birds, the importance of women leaders in the conservation movement, and needing more champions of nature. She shares insights on nature’s solutions to humanity’s problems, BirdLife International and global cooperation, and the need to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises in tandem. Patricia Zurita: https://events.globallandscapesforum.org/speaker/patricia-zurita/ BirdLife International: https://www.birdlife.org/

Adena Friedman (President and Chief Executive Officer of Nasdaq) joins Hank on Straight Talk to discuss financial changes shaping global markets, how Nasdaq has evolved, anti-financial crime technology, and the cloud as the next generation of markets. She shares insights into what led her to Nasdaq and her principles for leadership in the fast-moving world of finance. Adena Friedman: https://www.nasdaq.com/about/our-people/adena-t.-friedman