Ruth Porat

I started in mergers and acquisitions and thought that was the only thing I would ever want to do. But as the world changed, I then ended up taking on leadership of a private equity coverage group and technology, financial institutions, eventually leading to the role as CFO at Morgan Stanley. And it was an incredible opportunity. opportunity and privilege to be CFO at that time.

It was right after the financial crisis, still coming out of the financial crisis in 2010 when James Gorman took on as CEO. And it was still pretty rough back in 2010 coming out of the financial crisis. And I think we did a lot of really important work over the years to put Morgan Stanley in a very strong position. And I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him as closely as we did.

It was right after the financial crisis, still coming out of the financial crisis in 2010 when James Gorman took on as CEO. And it was still pretty rough back in 2010 coming out of the financial crisis. And I think we did a lot of really important work over the years to put Morgan Stanley in a very strong position. And I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him as closely as we did.

It was right after the financial crisis, still coming out of the financial crisis in 2010 when James Gorman took on as CEO. And it was still pretty rough back in 2010 coming out of the financial crisis. And I think we did a lot of really important work over the years to put Morgan Stanley in a very strong position. And I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him as closely as we did.

But by 2015, my question that I always ask in my career, what's my highest and best use? And I had a wonderful conversation with somebody by the name of Bill Campbell. He was written up in a book called The Trillion Dollar Coach because he had actually coached Steve Jobs and Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and others.

But by 2015, my question that I always ask in my career, what's my highest and best use? And I had a wonderful conversation with somebody by the name of Bill Campbell. He was written up in a book called The Trillion Dollar Coach because he had actually coached Steve Jobs and Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and others.

But by 2015, my question that I always ask in my career, what's my highest and best use? And I had a wonderful conversation with somebody by the name of Bill Campbell. He was written up in a book called The Trillion Dollar Coach because he had actually coached Steve Jobs and Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and others.

And so I had this wonderful conversation with him where I asked that question, how to think about my next chapter. And he actually was the one who said, after a long conversation, the obvious answer for him was Google, CFO of Google. And my reaction had been, I don't want to be a CFO again. But when he said Google, the reaction Clark just had, I kind of... Of course.

And so I had this wonderful conversation with him where I asked that question, how to think about my next chapter. And he actually was the one who said, after a long conversation, the obvious answer for him was Google, CFO of Google. And my reaction had been, I don't want to be a CFO again. But when he said Google, the reaction Clark just had, I kind of... Of course.

And so I had this wonderful conversation with him where I asked that question, how to think about my next chapter. And he actually was the one who said, after a long conversation, the obvious answer for him was Google, CFO of Google. And my reaction had been, I don't want to be a CFO again. But when he said Google, the reaction Clark just had, I kind of... Of course.

And I had actually worked on the IPO of Google, admired Google immensely, and so jumped when that opportunity arose. And it's been quite a run.

And I had actually worked on the IPO of Google, admired Google immensely, and so jumped when that opportunity arose. And it's been quite a run.

And I had actually worked on the IPO of Google, admired Google immensely, and so jumped when that opportunity arose. And it's been quite a run.

In certain respects, it was very easy. I'd grown up out here in Silicon Valley. My father was a physicist at Stanford. I had run the technology banking group, capital markets group, worked on a lot of the IPOs through the late 90s. And so it was familiar. And as I said, having taken Google public, many elements of it were familiar. The apparel was very different. That was my first question.

In certain respects, it was very easy. I'd grown up out here in Silicon Valley. My father was a physicist at Stanford. I had run the technology banking group, capital markets group, worked on a lot of the IPOs through the late 90s. And so it was familiar. And as I said, having taken Google public, many elements of it were familiar. The apparel was very different. That was my first question.

In certain respects, it was very easy. I'd grown up out here in Silicon Valley. My father was a physicist at Stanford. I had run the technology banking group, capital markets group, worked on a lot of the IPOs through the late 90s. And so it was familiar. And as I said, having taken Google public, many elements of it were familiar. The apparel was very different. That was my first question.

Jeans and hoodies was different. But other than that, it's really this question about how do you just keep asking what's the art of the possible was an important part for me and really the allure, the magnet to come out here.

Jeans and hoodies was different. But other than that, it's really this question about how do you just keep asking what's the art of the possible was an important part for me and really the allure, the magnet to come out here.

Jeans and hoodies was different. But other than that, it's really this question about how do you just keep asking what's the art of the possible was an important part for me and really the allure, the magnet to come out here.

I find that I... go back to lessons from the financial crisis over and over again. And during the financial crisis, just for context, I was working very closely with the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve through all aspects from the housing crisis, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, all the way through to AIG at the back end.