OFF the CUFF

  • As Internet pioneers go, Steve Case, the co-founder of America Online, tends to keep a lower profile than most. “I’m willing to be out front, particularly if there are issues I’m passionate about,” he told “Off The Cuff.” “Issues that I think are important to the nation, I am happy to play a role as an evangelist maybe, an activist, trying to build some bridges—because none of these things can get done without bipartisan support.”

    Earlier this year, Case, who’s now the chairman and CEO of Revolution, an investment company he founded, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on immigration reform. “I think immigration is critical to the future of the country. There’s too much focus on immigration as a problem that needs to be solved. I think it’s an opportunity that needs to be seized—if we’re going to remain the most entrepreneurial nation in the world, and remain an innovative nation that really attracts and retains the best and brightest people from all over the world. I’m particularly passionate about the parts related to high-skilled immigration—things like a ‘start-up visa,’ an ‘entrepreneur visa’—because these really are the innovators that drive the creation of new companies, the creation of new industries, drive our economy, create lots of jobs. But, also, dealing with the broader issues of immigration is critically important.”

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  • General Motors CEO Goes Undercover

    By CNBC | Off the Cuff – Tue, Apr 9, 2013 6:37 AM EDT

    “I went in with my daughter one time on a Sunday afternoon to buy a Chevrolet. And I was kind of surprised, what I saw. Literally, I'm interested in buying a car and there were seven salespeople, six of them watching the football game,” Dan Akerson’s the chairman and CEO of General Motors told “Off The Cuff”.

    “This young man came over to us and-what a breath of fresh air. I mean, he saw an opportunity, and he was going to sell that car and he wasn't going to let us get out of that dealership that day.” Akerson was so impressed, he bought another car from the young dealer and had it shipped to his second home in Florida. Since then, he said, most of GM’s salespeople have attended training to try “to amp the game up”.

    Akerson first joined GM in July 2009 as a member of the Board of Directors while the company was in bankruptcy. Akerson said he still goes undercover into dealerships, but less frequently now. “It was easier when I first took the job because not all the dealers knew who I was. And I would, in a sense, mystery shop. But now it's a little bit different. I'll walk in, they'll say, ‘well, jeez, that's the guy with GM,’ and I don't think there'd be six out of seven people watching television.“

    The new GM went public in November 2009. Akerson became CEO in 2010, succeeding Ed Whitacre. The Treasury invested a total of $49.5b into GM and is expected to have a substantial loss on that investment.

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  • Carmelo Anthony: The Heat Can be Beat

    By CNBC | Off the Cuff – Wed, Apr 3, 2013 4:00 AM EDT

    Carmelo Anthony was stumped. “What’s my title?” he laughed.

    He has a point. To his fans, he’s “Melo,” plain and simple. The man who led Syracuse University to its only NCAA basketball championship. Now, a forward for the New York Knicks, one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers and six-time NBA All-Star.

    He’s also the public face of a team trying to rebuild. For 40 years, the Knicks have suffered a title drought in their quest for the NBA Championship. Anthony has helped revive the team’s chances, and he’s bolstered the hopes of its most jaded fans. But standing between the Knicks and basketball history is the red-hot Miami Heat.

    “You know, as a fan of basketball, just to watch and see them win 27 games in a row, that's quite unheard of in our time, in my time, Anthony told "Off The Cuff". But, he added, "they can be beat." He proved it last night - he tied his career high with 50 points, topping the Miami Heat with a 102-90 victory .  The defending champs were without LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers, who were all sidelined by injuries.

    Off-season, he trains in a boxing ring. “When it comes to boxing, it’s a matter of putting myself in a different mentality,” he said. “My focus level has to be at an all-time in a boxing gym. And that transcends to the basketball court.”

    Anthony lives life fully in the public eye. In addition to being a star player in the NBA, and one of the league’s most popular players, in 2010 he appeared in a reality show which starred his wife, TV personality Lala Anthony. Even their wedding was televised. But the constant scrutiny has its downsides. Earlier this month, Ms. Anthony publicly refuted rumors that the couple had separated.

    “It's kind of - you’re in this box. “ Anthony explained, “it's a transparent box where everybody sees what you're doing, everybody knows what you doing, especially with the way that the media is - online, digital, newspapers. But you’ve got to have fun doing what you do, and in the way you live. It's hard, but we deal with it. You know, I think the first part is understanding, and knowing, that that's your life. Once you get to that point, it’s half the battle.”

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  • Very soon now, Doug Parker may run the largest airline in the world. Parker is the chairman and CEO of US Airways . On March 27, the airline’s merger with American Airlines won bankruptcy court approval. The new, combined airline will have an annual revenue of an estimated $40 billion, and will offer 6,700 daily flights. The merger is expected to close later this year – it needs approval from shareholders and the Department of Justice.

    Parker has been a longtime proponent of airline consolidation.  In 2006, he made a run for Delta Airlines, later withdrawing the bid.  In 2008 and 2010, he wooed United but was rebuffed.  Asked about his relationship with other airline CEO’s, he said,“we get together primarily to work on lobbying in DC, which is something that other industry groups do, and not much else, so that’s most of what we’re talking about.  When we’re together, we tend to spend a lot of our time commiserating about how the government is making our lives difficult sometimes in

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About Off the Cuff

Ever wondered what your boss eats for breakfast? Or why he or she works 24/7? Off the Cuff takes you outside the boardroom to show you what high-impact leaders do off the clock. Every week, corporate tycoons will answer questions about what they like (and loathe), what makes them get up in the morning, what inspires them, and what makes them the most proud.