Scaling Global Organizations in the Age of AI with ServiceNow Chairman and CEO Bill McDermott

Few teens are business owners, but by age 16, Bill McDermott had purchased and was running a local deli. Now he runs leading global technology powerhouse ServiceNow, a company that is defining how the world’s largest organizations transform for the digital age. Sarah Guo sits down with ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott to discuss his journey from child entrepreneur to CEO, and how he navigates his role as a leader in the age of AI. Bill argues that human connection is still a vital part of being a successful leader, and as such, AI must be used to serve people rather than substitute for ambition. He breaks down the mechanics of hyper-growth, and the art of staying customer-centric at a global scale. They also discuss the future of enterprise software, how generative AI is fundamentally reshaping the labor market, and what founders need to know about building a resilient company culture that survives economic and technological shifts. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to [email protected] Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @BillRMcDermott | @ServiceNow Chapters: 00:00 – Cold Open 00:50 – Bill McDermott Introduction 01:14 – Lesson from Buying a Deli 07:35 – Leadership in the AI Era 09:41 – How Bill Got Hired at Xerox 15:47 – Can Agency Be Taught? 18:40 – Seeing Change as Opportunity 25:18 – ServiceNow as an AI Control Tower 30:30 – Which SaaS Gets Disrupted? 32:22 – Defining a Platform Business 36:25 – Does AI Decrease Implementation Time? 39:06 – Agents Will Reshape the Workforce 40:59 – Success Signals at ServiceNow 44:07 – Enterprise Attitudes About AI 48:41 – How AI Has Changed Customer Conversations 50:48 – Bill’s Curiosity Beyond ServiceNow 52:29 – Day in the Life of a CEO 57:27 – Conclusion