ARCTV » John Allison

Bank CEO for President?

Bryan Olive — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:14:29 +0000

Yaron Brook explains why former BB&T CEO John Allison would make an ideal president, and why Mr. Allison could never win. This interview with The Street was posted on January 4, 2012.

Using Ayn Rand’s Values to Create Competitive Advantage in Business

Bryan Olive — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:10:19 +0000

John Allison, who as chairman and CEO made BB&T Corporation the 10th largest financial institution headquartered in the United States, attributes the success of BB&T to the concept of Principled Leadership, based on an uncompromising commitment to fundamental values. In this talk, he explains how Ayn Rand’s ethical system can be used practically to create a competitive advantage in any organization. This talk was delivered in San Diego, California, on April 4, 2011, as part of the ARC Speaker Series.

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Interview with John Allison

Bryan Olive — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:18:09 +0000

In this interview, John Allison answers questions about why principles matter, why philosophy matters in business, how it impacts business decisions and why he thinks Ayn Rand’s philosophy provides a competitive advantage in business. Mr. Allison was CEO of BB&T Corporation from 1989–2008, during which time the company grew from $4.5 billion to $152 billion in assets to become the 10th largest financial institution headquartered in the United States. Mr. Allison presently sits on the board of directors at BB&T and is Distinguished Professor of Practice at Wake Forest University. Mr. Allison is author of the Introduction to the recently published Why Businessmen Need Philosophy: The Capitalist’s Guide to the Ideas Behind Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. This interview was recorded on April 4, 2011.

John Stossel on Atlas Shrugged

Bryan Olive — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:46:43 +0000

On January 7, 2010, Stossel (a new Fox Business Channel program by John Stossel) broadcast a special on Atlas Shrugged. The first 25 minutes of the program features interviews with Yaron Brook, John Allison and C. Bradley Thompson. (Video hosted by Hulu)

Capitalism and Atlas Shrugged

Bryan Olive — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:29:17 +0000

Yaron Brook lectures on Atlas Shrugged, capitalism, and today’s economic climate. John Allison participates in the Q&A. Recorded August 14, 2009.

Part 1 of 12:

View the whole series at YouTube.

The Financial Crisis: Causes and Possible Cures

Bryan Olive — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:54:01 +0000

Recorded January 29, 2009—The media, politicians, and even many businessmen have blamed today’s financial meltdown on capitalism. But in this talk, John Allison—the longest-tenured CEO of a top-25 financial services company—argues that this crisis is a legacy of the government’s anti-capitalist policies.

View accompanying slides

Mr. Allison presents his unique perspective of the financial services industry to support his argument that massive government intervention into the U.S. economy—from the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913 to a reckless crusade to encourage home-ownership—laid the groundwork for an unsustainable real estate boom. He offers his views on what contributed to the current financial crisis and how the government’s response to the inevitable bust—a frenzied series of bailouts, nationalizations, and “stimulus” efforts—is only making things worse.

Finally, Mr. Allison discusses some of his proposed immediate and long-term solutions for moving us towards a stronger economy. He concludes that capitalism, far from being the cause of today’s crisis, is its only cure.

John Allison is chairman of the board of BB&T Corporation. He began his service with BB&T in 1971, became president in 1987 and was elected chairman and CEO in 1989 (serving as CEO until the end of 2008). During Mr. Allison’s tenure, BB&T has grown from $4.5 billion to $137 billion in assets.