Why Great Turnarounds Start with Culture, Not Strategy
About this episode
Dan Schulman discusses the importance of culture over strategy in successful business turnarounds, particularly in the context of AI.
In an era of constant disruption, successful turnarounds require more than a new strategy—they demand a new culture. Dan Schulman, former CEO of PayPal, came out of retirement to tackle the challenge of taking over the helm of Verizon as it entered the AI age. He explains how they needed to put customers—not engineering—at the center of the business, how he reshaped company culture, and what it really took to prepare employees for an AI-native future. He explains why leaders need to embrace change, invest in reskilling, and balance optimism about AI with honesty about the disruption it will bring.
People in this episode
Guest: Dan Schulman
Topics covered
- turnarounds
- company culture
- AI
- leadership
- reskilling
- customer focus
Keywords
- turnaround
- culture
- strategy
- AI
- leadership
- reskilling
- customer-centric
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: PayPal, Verizon
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