Past Conversations

John Kanas has spent a career proving being agile is not about being small. Currently Chairman, President and CEO of BankUnited, the largest bank in Florida, Kanas has an entrepreneur’s disposition to seize opportunities. He led a consortium of internationally known private equity firms in purchasing BankUnited in a history-making transaction in May 2009. Two years later, Kanas presided over that company’s Initial Public Offering, raising nearly $900 million—the largest bank IPO in US history.

Previously the chief executive at North Fork Bancorporation, he was named president of that company in 1977. Kanas is the recipient of dozens of awards recognizing his work both within and outside the banking industry, including the national Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. He is a frequent contributor to CNBC Squawk Box and Bloomberg News.

Investing in an Unpredictable Economy
October 19, 2012

Bob Doll is a consultant at BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm. Previously, he was BlackRock's Chief Equity Strategist and Senior Portfolio Manager of the U.S. Large Cap Series equity team and had primary portfolio management responsibilities for these products.

Mr. Doll's service to BlackRock dates back to 1999, including his years with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM), which merged with BlackRock in 2006. At MILM, he served as the President and Chief Investment Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Merrill Lynch Large Cap Series Funds.

Prior to joining MLIM, Mr. Doll served as the Chief Investment Officer of Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. He received a B.S. in accounting and a B.A. in economics from Lehigh University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Doll is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst. He appears regularly in the national financial media discussing economic developments and markets.

A CEO's Last Stand
March 9, 2012

They teach ethics in business school, but few executives ever face a moment of truth—a time when they must choose between deeply held ethical principles and calculated business practices. These are decisions that can profoundly impact the ethos of a company and the lives of its employees.

Gerard Arpey did. As CEO of American Airlines, he steadfastly resisted for nearly a decade the bankruptcy option that most U.S. carriers have used to solve financial issues. When confronted with the proverbial ultimatum from the airline's board, Arpey chose principle over popular practice and stepped away from a 30-year career with American.

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