The Blackstone blueprint: how Jon Gray presides over a $1.2 trillion investment empire
Jon Gray, President and COO of Blackstone, has a simple rule: Think long-term, even when everything feels like it's falling apart.
The lesson isn't just for investors—it's for anyone building a career:
Stay calm when chaos hits
Separate temporary noise from lasting trends
Turn uncertainty into opportunity
After 33 years at Blackstone, Gray's built more than just wealth—he's mastered the art of thinking beyond the moment. To hear more from Jon Gray including what he’s learned about leadership, watch the video below.
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AI is a force multiplier, not a threat: Wieden + Kennedy CEO Neal Arthur
Put Neal Arthur, CEO of ad powerhouse Wieden + Kennedy, firmly in the camp that AI is a great tool and will become even better — accelerating the deadlines for campaigns and making life easier for the "idea people." Definitely not in the camp recently occupied by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who predicts the $1.8 trillion ad industry is on the verge of existential AI disruption (more on this later).
"AI is probably the biggest factor change right now," he said. "But I think the conversation too often becomes very zero sum. It gets very dystopian — What's gonna happen to humans in this AI world? … I'm much more optimistic than that."
Widen + Kennedy has been around for more than four decades and knows how to adapt. Founder Dan Weiden crafted the famous “Just Do It” slogan in 1988 — one of Advertising Age's top five slogans of the 20th century — and this year the agency led the industry with five Super Bowl 59 ads.
To hear how Arthur is navigating AI and the fine art of client relations, click below.
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This Is Quick: why Neal Arthur just wants to hear your story
This Is Quick is the lightning round of This Is Working. Today on the hot seat is Neal Arthur, CEO of Wieden + Kennedy, one of the largest indie ad agencies in the world. They're the creative brains behind some of the most iconic commercials of our era (Nike's Just Do It, the Coca-Cola polar bears, to name a few). He told LinkedIn's Editor in Chief Daniel Roth how he maintains focus at work, why he gets nothing from asking traditional interview questions, and who he always listens to when they talk.
To get more great insights from leaders direct to your inbox, subscribe to the free This Is Working newsletter on LinkedIn.
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"Everything is going to be instant" — Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach on the AI future
"We are the operating system of the digital economy."
Mastercard is one of the world's most recognized logos. It's everywhere — from point-of-sale machines to the Masters. But asked what Mastercard does, most people would probably say "they make credit cards."
In a wide-ranging interview with LinkedIn Editor-in-Chief Dan Roth for This is Working, CEO Michael Miebach explained just how far off that public perception is from the company's business and ambitions. Yes, Mastercard powers credit cards. But what it really does is provide the rails for payments — a staggering $9.8 trillion in transactions across 210 countries last year alone — while inventing and anticipating.
"There are people that look around two corners and think about fundamental technology innovation that might inform the product, it might inform today's solution," Miebach said. "We have a labs unit. They really think far out. They don't have a budget, a revenue budget. The only task they have is innovate, do basic R&D and figure out the next piece of technology. Our product teams, they think three years ahead and have a roadmap that we can share with our customers."
Miebach also lays out how Mastercard manages a technological ecosystem where 27,000 banks, countless merchants, and a growing array of tech giants, fintechs, governments, and cryptocurrencies must all seamlessly connect; Why speed and security are non-negotiable; and how the company in the not-too-distant future intends to make payment pain points disappear with the help of gen AI.
To get more great insights from leaders direct to your inbox, subscribe to the free This is Working newsletter here.
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This Is Quick: How Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach hires, manages, and is always learning
This Is Quick: The lightning round of This Is Working. The CEO of MasterCard Michael Miebach speaks to Editor in Chief Daniel Roth about what he looks for most in new hires, why he reads everything — and the one person he always listens to.
Takeaways include:
How COVID shaped his management style
The one person he always listens to
Why you should always ask one more question
To get more great insights from leaders direct to your inbox, subscribe to the free This is Working newsletter here.
Join LinkedIn’s Editor-in-Chief Dan Roth as he pulls back the curtain on how the world’s most dynamic leaders think, lead, and build. Going beyond titles and buzzwords, This Is Working uncovers the human stories behind high-impact leadership. These are the thoughtleaders and changemakers who are reshaping industries: from tacos to tech, AI to alcohol-free beer, fashion to finance. You’ll hear from guests like Jamie Dimon on rethinking talent, Chuck Robbins on leading through transformation, and Dr. Fei-Fei Li on the human side of AI. Tune in every other week for candid conversations on what’s working at work, and what’s yet to come.
Listen to This Is Working with Daniel Roth, The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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