See chapter timings below this introduction:
Today, I’m joined by Kevin Steinberg from the Stanford MBA Class of 1995 and Michael Bakan from the Class of 2025. Kevin is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of operating experience founding, leading, and scaling some of the world’s most prominent professional services and talent-centric organizations. He is currently the Founder and Chairman of Ascent Leadership Networks, an advisory and executive talent development firm. His past leadership roles include CEO, COO, and President positions at the World Economic Forum, Purpose, Spencer Stuart’s leadership consulting practice, and The Brattle Group.
Michael is a second-year MBA student at Stanford GSB. Before business school, he worked in management consulting at Accenture, where he led digital transformation efforts and helped build the firm’s financial services sustainability practice. Outside the classroom, Michael brings his passion for sports to life—he helped run a girls’ youth basketball program on Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League and recently spent part of his MBA summer working at the historic Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Scotland
Kevin and Michael offer intergenerational perspectives, weaving together lessons from the 1990s global business boom with today’s tech-infused, socially aware leadership landscape. Kevin reflects on his journey from McKinsey to the World Economic Forum and beyond, emphasizing people strategy, systemic risk, and the evolving role of leadership. Michael, a second-year MBA, shares insights from Stanford’s culture of deep interpersonal connection, AI’s rising influence, and his own search for meaning, values, and overlooked industries beyond the Silicon Valley bubble. Together, they explore how leadership, purpose, and human connection remain central, even as technology and geopolitics reshape the path forward
00:00 Introduction and Backgrounds
06:01 Navigating Life After GSB
08:52 The Importance of Relationships
10:52 Experiences at Stanford GSB
13:48 Career Paths and Leadership Development
16:33 The Impact of Technology and AI
19:06 Exploring Overlooked Industries
22:17 Exploring Diverse Interests and Industries
23:30 Shifting Perspectives on Geopolitical Risks
25:54 Integrating Geopolitical and Socioeconomic Factors
27:08 Insights from International Experiences
31:38 Navigating Career Anxieties and Decisions
33:30 Reflections on Reunions and Career Journeys
35:20 Current Experiences at Stanford
39:06 Developing People Skills and Leadership
42:43 Lessons from Influential Leaders
45:27 Reflections on 30 Years of Growth
48:36 Hopes for the Future and Accompaniment
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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