Enduring Excellence

large room of people listening to two people talk

What Does It Mean to Lead with Purpose for a Lifetime?

Enduring Excellence is a speaker series presented by the University of Chicago Graham School and moderated by longtime CNBC anchor Tyler Mathisen. Through compelling, in-depth conversations, the series engages world-class executives, ground-breaking scholars, and cultural icons to explore a timeless yet timely question:

How do extraordinary leaders sustain purpose and impact across generations?

Each conversation features a transformative leader who has not only led through cycles of success, but redefined excellence in their industries or field over the long arc of time.

With Mathisen as guide, the series aims to uncover the mindsets, habits, and values that distinguish those who don’t just succeed once, but evolve, grow, and lead with integrity for a lifetime.

Meet the Individuals Defining Excellence Across Generations

Mellody Hobson

Co-CEO & President, Ariel Investments
Sept. 9, 2025, 8:00 to 9:00 am CT

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Arthur C. Brooks

Harvard professor, bestselling author
Sept. 16, 2025, 1:00 to 2:00 pm CT

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Indra Nooyi

Former Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo; Board Director, Amazon
Oct. 23, 2025, 5:30 to 7:00 pm CT

watch now

Al Michaels

Sports Broadcaster & Eight-time Emmy Award Winner
February 3, 2026, 1:00 pm CT (tentative)
Online

Registration Forthcoming

Herminia Ibarra

Charles Handy Professor of Organisational Behaviour, London Business School
Mar 4, 2026, 11:00 am to noon CT
Online

Paul Polman

Former CEO, Unilever; Co-Author, Net Positive
Mar 25, 2026, 6:00 to 7:30 pm CT
In-Person

Vik Malhotra

Chairman of the Americas, McKinsey & Co.; Co-author, CEO Excellence
Apr 30, 2026, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. CT
In-Person

Steven R. Swartz

President & CEO, Hearst
May 7, 2026, 8:00 to 9:15 a.m. CT
In-Person

Don and Liz Thompson

Renowned business and civic leaders

May 12, 2026, 8:00 to 9:15 a.m. CT
Online

Why Enduring Excellence?

As people live longer and the pace of change accelerates, the challenge—and opportunity—of sustaining purpose and performance across life’s many chapters has become increasingly complex.

Enduring Excellence seeks to understand:

What fuels people to lead with authenticity, passion, and discipline over decades?
How do individuals remain committed to their vision and values in times of change, adversity, and success?
What common traits allow leaders to continuously learn, grow, and adapt?
And how can the rest of us—at any age or stage—build lives and careers of enduring meaning, purpose, and impact?

This series is for anyone seeking to uncover the “why” behind a lifetime of contribution. Whether you’re just starting out or reimagining your next chapter, Enduring Excellence invites you into a learning journey toward sustainable, purpose-driven leadership.

What You’ll Experience

Each session features a conversation with a generational leader, exploring:

The origin and evolution of their purpose
The obstacles they’ve overcome and how those moments shaped them

Their commitment to learning and reinvention
Insights on excellence that transcends one moment, one role, or even one lifetime

These leadership conversations will be accompanied by reflections from scholars who study excellence across disciplines, offering a unique intersection of lived experience and cutting-edge research.

Our Host

Tyler Mathisen

Few people have spoken to more leaders about their life’s work than Tyler Mathisen. During his nearly five decades in media, he has interviewed thousands of executives, innovators, public figures, and changemakers. Mathisen brings a depth of journalistic insight, intellectual curiosity, and a personal commitment to lifelong learning. Now, as he enters his own next chapter as a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago Graham School, his perspective on enduring excellence is both professional and deeply personal. His role as the Enduring Excellence moderator is not just to ask questions, but to explore alongside our audience what it means to grow with purpose across a lifetime.

One of the country’s most respected business journalists, Mathisen has hosted or co-hosted many of CNBC’s flagship programs, including Power Lunch and Nightly Business Report. He also served as Managing Editor of CNBC Business News and Vice President of Events Strategy. His reporting has spanned the tech bubble, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic, and he’s produced award-winning documentaries and interviews with leaders across business, sports, and government.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Mathisen began his career at Money magazine and later served as Money Editor for ABC’s Good Morning America.