Podcast Ep. 17 Stanford MBA ’95 Tony Ross meets MBA ’25 Marc-Aurèle Stark

Today, I’m joined by Tony Ross from the Stanford MBA Class of 1995 and Marc-Aurèle Stark from the Class of 2025. Tony spent nearly 22 years at Apple, leading Americas Operations after key roles in Worldwide Planning and Mac Product Operations. Now based in Park City, Utah, he serves on the advisory board of Crowdstake, a platform using crypto rewards to fund new initiatives — and he’s preparing for his second climb of Denali. Marc-Aurèle is a transformative sales leader, blending cutting-edge AI technology with human connection to redefine how companies drive growth. A second-year MBA student at Stanford, he’s led global teams at MuleSoft/Salesforce, shaped AI go-to-market strategies for startups, and brings the same energy to his passions for photography, indie film, and team-building — often with a mic in hand for karaoke. Together, Tony and Marc-Aurèle explore two awakenings — the internet in the 1990s and today’s AI revolution — and what it means to lead with purpose across generations.. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:22 AI Awakening: A New Era in Education 05:23 The Evolution of Technology and Its Impact 08:21 Reflections on Career Paths and Experiences 11:20 The Role of AI in Education 14:21 Sales as a Career Choice 17:12 Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Impact 20:19 Looking Ahead: Future Aspirations 24:50 The Apple Case Study: Innovation and Sales Dynamics 26:43 Navigating AI Sales: Understanding New Markets 28:14 The Role of AI in Business: Use Cases and Applications 31:19 Artificial General Intelligence: Definitions and Implications 35:05 Education and the Socratic Method: Adapting to AI 38:53 Life After Apple: Pursuing Passions and New Ventures 41:48 Imagining the Future: A Day in an AI-Enhanced World 43:27 Work and Purpose: Redefining Success Across Generations 52:49 Climate Change: A Call for Intergenerational Collaboration Join the Podcast Series Stanford MBA: From Baby Boomer to Gen Z |  Class of ‘95 Meets Class of ‘25   Each of these episodes will feature a different pair of Stanford MBA people -- one from the class of 1995, and one from the class of 2025.   Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to stay connected with future episodes! 📺 Also available on YouTube: Entire series playlist:    • Плейлист   More info: https://www.katharinemclennan.com/ Contact: kath@katharinemclennan.com (mailto:kath@katharinemclennan.com) Linkedin:   / katharinemclennan