The Chief Executive Podcast

Mark C. Thompson has coached CEOs at companies most people would recognize immediately, and his access shows up in who he is able to book. This show skews toward founders and chief executives in the tech and growth-company space, with a smattering of legacy-industry leaders and authors mixed in. Thompson's approach is conversational and a little warmer than most interviewers in this genre. He tends to start by asking about the guest's early career, the moments before they were important, which usually pulls out stories you will not hear on the typical press-tour circuit. From there he works forward into the big decisions, the failures that almost killed the company, and what the guest would tell a younger version of themselves. Episodes vary in length, some as short as 20 minutes, others stretching past an hour when the conversation earns it. Production is straightforward, occasionally a little rough around the edges, but the substance carries it. Thompson has a coach's ear, which means he listens for the thing the guest almost said and circles back to it. That habit produces moments you do not get from more polished hosts. Worth subscribing if you want to hear CEOs talking like people instead of press releases.