637: Growth and Innovation at Scale, with Former IBM, Microsoft, and Salesforce Executive Jason Wild - The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving Recap

Podcast: The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving

Published: 2026-03-18

Guests: Jason Wilde

What Happened

Jason Wilde, a former executive at IBM, Microsoft, and Salesforce, recounts his early life growing up in a lower middle-class family in Chicago. Influenced by his mother, he ventured into acting, co-starring in films with celebrities like Mr. T and Jane Fonda, and learned the power of storytelling and resilience after facing over 300 rejections by age 15.

At Microsoft, Jason Wilde was instrumental in transitioning the company's go-to-market strategy from a distribution model to a more consultative selling approach. He helped reset Microsoft's country-level scorecards to prioritize customer markets and competition over its products, showcasing a shift towards a customer-centric mindset.

Jason Wilde describes his experience working on Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI, emphasizing the importance of open source models for AI and large language models. He believes these models ensure transparency and alignment with human incentives, though he also predicts a potential AI bubble while affirming AI's long-term significance.

In his book 'Genius at Scale,' co-authored with others, Jason Wilde introduces the ABCs framework (Architects, Bridges, and Catalysts) as a model for future organizational structures. The book discusses leadership and innovation, using real-world examples like Michael Koo's leadership at Pfizer during the COVID vaccine development and Ajay Banga's transformation of MasterCard.

Michael Koo, head of the clinical supply chain at Pfizer, played a crucial role in delivering a COVID vaccine in just 266 days, a process that typically takes 8-10 years. To maintain a positive outlook, he replaced the term 'change' with 'evolution,' fostering a mindset supportive of rapid innovation.

Ajay Banga, former CEO of MasterCard, redefined the company's identity as a technology enterprise within the payment space. Under his leadership, innovation rose in importance, and the internal culture shifted from focusing on market share battles to leveraging technology for growth.

Key Insights

• Jason Wilde's early acting career taught him resilience and the power of storytelling, which he later applied in the corporate world.
• Under Jason Wilde's guidance, Microsoft shifted its strategy to a consultative selling approach, prioritizing customer markets over product-centric scorecards.
• The book 'Genius at Scale' by Jason Wilde introduces the ABCs framework, aimed at guiding organizations in adapting to AI-driven environments.
• Michael Koo's leadership in the COVID vaccine project at Pfizer exemplifies innovation under pressure, achieving a breakthrough in a fraction of the usual time.