Today, I’m joined by Tony Ross from the Stanford MBA Class of 1995 and Marc-Aurèle Stark from the Class of 2025.
Tony spent nearly 22 years at Apple, leading Americas Operations after key roles in Worldwide Planning and Mac Product Operations. Now based in Park City, Utah, he serves on the advisory board of Crowdstake, a platform using crypto rewards to fund new initiatives — and he’s preparing for his second climb of Denali.
Marc-Aurèle is a transformative sales leader, blending cutting-edge AI technology with human connection to redefine how companies drive growth. A second-year MBA student at Stanford, he’s led global teams at MuleSoft/Salesforce, shaped AI go-to-market strategies for startups, and brings the same energy to his passions for photography, indie film, and team-building — often with a mic in hand for karaoke.
Together, Tony and Marc-Aurèle explore two awakenings — the internet in the 1990s and today’s AI revolution — and what it means to lead with purpose across generations..
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:22 AI Awakening: A New Era in Education
05:23 The Evolution of Technology and Its Impact
08:21 Reflections on Career Paths and Experiences
11:20 The Role of AI in Education
14:21 Sales as a Career Choice
17:12 Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Impact
20:19 Looking Ahead: Future Aspirations
24:50 The Apple Case Study: Innovation and Sales Dynamics
26:43 Navigating AI Sales: Understanding New Markets
28:14 The Role of AI in Business: Use Cases and Applications
31:19 Artificial General Intelligence: Definitions and Implications
35:05 Education and the Socratic Method: Adapting to AI
38:53 Life After Apple: Pursuing Passions and New Ventures
41:48 Imagining the Future: A Day in an AI-Enhanced World
43:27 Work and Purpose: Redefining Success Across Generations
52:49 Climate Change: A Call for Intergenerational Collaboration
Join the Podcast Series
Stanford MBA: From Baby Boomer to Gen Z | Class of ‘95 Meets Class of ‘25
Each of these episodes will feature a different pair of Stanford MBA people -- one from the class of 1995, and one from the class of 2025.
Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to stay connected with future episodes!
📺 Also available on YouTube:
Entire series playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSaVisoF0D_GKxVmHmakNxdpAJCb5_VTP
More info: https://www.katharinemclennan.com/
Contact: kath@katharinemclennan.com
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