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.
Register for our upcoming conversations with iconic leaders, cultural influencers, and visionary scholars.
Co-CEO & President, Ariel Investments
Sept. 9, 2025, 8:00 to 9:00 am CT
Harvard professor, bestselling author
Sept. 16, 2025, 1:00 to 2:00 pm CT
Former Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo; Board Director, Amazon
Oct. 23, 2025, 5:30 to 7:00 pm CT
Sports Broadcaster & Eight-time Emmy Award Winner
February 3, 2026, 1:00 pm CT
Charles Handy Professor of Organisational Behaviour, London Business School
Mar 4, 2026, 11:00 am to noon CT
Former CEO, Unilever; Co-Author, Net Positive
Mar 25, 2026, 6:00 to 7:30 pm CT
In-Person
President & CEO, Hearst
May 7, 2026, 8:00 to 9:15 a.m. CT
In-Person
Renowned business and civic leaders
May 12, 2026, 8:00 to 9:15 a.m. CT
Online
Entrepreneur & Professor of Marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Businesss
September 29, 2026, 9:00 to 10 a.m. CT
Online
In conversation with Tyler Mathisen, Don Thompson and Liz Thompson will reflect on leadership, partnership, and the responsibility of creating lasting impact across business and community life. Drawing on their experiences in corporate leadership, philanthropy, and mentorship, they will explore how values-driven leadership, resilience, and a commitment to opportunity can shape meaningful change across generations.……
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:
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.
Each session features a conversation with a generational leader, exploring:
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
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.
Don and Liz Thompson share lessons on partnership, purpose, and investing in the genius that lives in every community.
Steve Swartz shares lessons on stewardship, mission-driven business, and building a company that endures across generations.
Paul Polman shares insights on purpose-driven leadership, long-term value creation, and the responsibility of business in a changing world.