A CEO's Perspective on Leadership

CareerCast - Life-long Career Development

Kunal Kapoor

CareerCast invites you to an engaging dialogue with Kunal Kapoor, a distinguished Booth alumnus and the CEO of Morningstar. Kunal draws from his wealth of experience leading a global financial services powerhouse, offering profound insights into the nuances of modern leadership amidst a rapidly evolving business environment. Listeners will hear Kunal's expert perspectives on overcoming challenges, nurturing innovation, and spearheading growth initiatives. In this episode, learn actionable strategies designed to elevate your leadership capabilities and propel your career forward.

Aired October 18, 2024

Kunal Kapoor, CFA, is the chief executive officer of Morningstar. Before assuming his current role in 2017, he served as president, responsible for product development and innovation, sales and marketing, and driving strategic prioritization across the firm.

Since joining Morningstar in 1997 as a data analyst, Kapoor has held a variety of roles at the firm, including leadership positions in research and innovation. He served as director of mutual fund research and was part of the team that launched Morningstar Investment Services, Inc., before moving on to other roles including director of business strategy for international operations, and later, president and chief investment officer of Morningstar Investment Services. During his tenure, he has also led Morningstar.com® and the firm’s data business as well as its global products and client solutions group.

Kapoor holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and environmental policy from Monmouth College and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, is a member of the CFA Society of Chicago, and served on the board of PitchBook, a private firm that provides a comprehensive private equity and venture capital database, prior to its acquisition by Morningstar in late 2016. Kapoor is also a member of the board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois. In 2010, Crain’s Chicago Business named him to its annual 40 Under 40 class, a list that includes professionals from a variety of industries who are contributing to Chicago’s business, civic, and philanthropic landscape.

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Leading with Edge: Activate Your Competitive Advantage Through Personal Insight by Jose Costa (2018)

Choosing Leadership: A Workbook by Linda Ginzel PhD (2018)

The Confidence Effect: Every Woman's Guide to the Attitude That Attracts Success by Grace Killelea (2016)

The Art of Authenticity: Tools to Become an Authentic Leader by Karissa Thacker (2016)

The New Advantage: How Women in Leadership Can Create Win-Wins for Their Companies and Themselves by Howard J. Morgan and Joelle K. Jay (2016)

Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works by Jay Newton-Small (2016)

Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution by Brené Brown (2015)

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg (2013)

The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William N. Thorndike (2012)

The Virtual Executive: How to Act Like a CEO Online and Offline by Debra Benton (2012)

How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life by Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston (2011)

360 Degrees of Influence: Get Everyone to Follow Your Lead on Your Way to the Top by Harrison Monarth (2011)

CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization by Debra Benton (2009)

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Your Next Move: The Leader’s Guide to Navigating Major Career Transitions by Michael Watkins (2009)

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith (2007)

How to Act Like a CEO: 10 Rules for Getting to the Top and Staying There by Debra Benton (2003)

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (1936)

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Read a Morningstar article, Why AI Makes Data Governance Essential, by Kunal Kapoor.

Read the Excerpt