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Ken Wilcox has been interviewed for many articles and appeared on a number of podcasts and video interviews, speaking both on doing business in China and on management.
Ken Wilcox has been interviewed for many articles and appeared on a number of podcasts and video interviews, speaking both on doing business in China and on management.
Dui Hua Digest: Event Summary, June 5, 2025
Ken discussed “U.S.-China Relations on the Precipice” with John Kamm, Executive Director of the Dui Hua Foundation.
A Realistic Outcome of the U.S.-China Trade Talks, by Scott Douglas Jacobsen, in The Good Men Project, May 19, 2025
Ken comments on how long-standing tensions and current political strategies shape the realistic outcome of U.S.-China trade negotiations, and what sectors are most at risk if talks collapse.
One Book, Three Questions: The China Business Conundrum, Politico, May 1, 2025
Politico asks Ken three questions about his book–scroll down!
How Western Companies Fail in China-What Leaders Need to Know, by Ken Wilcox, CEOWorld Magazine, April 26, 2025
Ken describes the three major themes of why western companies fail in China.
Lessons from Starting a Bank in China: An Insider’s Reflections, by Ken Wilcox in SOAS China Institute, April 15, 2025
Ken describes his lessons from working with the CCP to start a bank for innovative companies in China.
Trump Tariffs: Bargaining Tool or Preface to a Global Trade War?,(PDF) by Nick Thomas in Washington Examiner, March 28, 2025
Ken places the current Trump tariffs in context and explains the difficulty of decoupling US and China supply chains.
Wall Street’s China Plans in Tatters After Years of Setbacks, by Cathy Chan in Bloomberg, February 16, 2025
Ken Wilcox comments on the moves among major banks to scale back investments and cut jobs as they rethink their growth strategies.
Community Banks in Decline, Struggle with High Regulatory Burden, by Andrew Moran in Epoch Times, February 16, 2025
Ken Wilcox discusses the combined importance and difficulty of complying with government regulations for a small bank.
Former SVB Chief Warns Trump 2.0 Could Lead to More Bank Failures, by Natasha Teja in The Banker, February 4, 2024
Ken Wilcox sees a ‘major-league crisis brewing’ amid Trump’s massive deregulation agenda.
How and Why Western Companies Fail in China by Ken Wilcox, in Chief Executive, November 14, 2024
Ken Wilcox shares the lessons learned from four years spent “on the ground” trying—and failing—to establish a joint venture between SVB and the Chinese government to fund local innovation design.
Ken Wilcox on Trying to Build a Bank in China, by Andrew Peaple, in The Wire China, October 27, 2024
The former chief executive of Silicon Valley Bank talks about the frustrations of trying to expand in China, the role of the ‘secret team’ and why his efforts were doomed to fall short.
Top Tips on Doing Business in China, Ken speaks with Dr. Jean-Marc F Blanchard, host of Thirty Minutes of Tips from Top Talent, March 14, 2026
Ken and Jean-Marc discuss the nuances of entering China as a Western business and how our instincts and training can work to our disadvantage.
The China Business Conundrum: What Global Financial Leaders Must Learn from Silicon Valley Bank’s China Experiment, Lizzie Lee speaks with Ken on The Art of Dealing with China, December 1, 2025
On the inaugural issue of this podcast, sponsored by the Center for China Analysis, Lizzie Lee talks with Ken about how multinational companies can adapt to the shifting realities of doing business in China, with special attention to SVB’s hard-won lessons.
The China Business Conundrum, Part Two of Ken’s conversation with Jeff Rittener on Rittener Reflections, June 24, 2025
In this second segment of conversations with Jeff, Ken shares insights drawn from his four years of experience working in and with China. He offers candid, timely, and vital guidance on conducting business in China, covering aspects that are not commonly addressed.
Is Culture More Important Than Strategy?, Part One Ken Wilcox speaks with Jeff Rittener on Rittener Reflections, June 10, 2025
In this first segment, Ken and Jeff explore Ken’s perspective that culture takes precedence over strategy and discuss several key leadership practices that inspire individuals to achieve exceptional outcomes.
It All Comes Back to Culture: Interview with Ken Wilcox, Former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank with Adam Mendler, May 29, 2025
Ken and Adam discuss financial integrity, trust, and the best practices for organizations and their employees to ensure it.
Leading through Culture with Ken Wilcox on The Leadership Code, May 16, 2025
Ken provides “a masterclass in leadership that prioritizes people, trust, and humility over traditional command-and-control models.”
The China Business Conundrum—Ken Wilcox talks about his book with Maggie Cox of the Stanford Women’s Club of San Francisco, May 8, 2025
Ken and Maggie Cox of the Stanford Women’s Club of San Francisco discuss The China Business Conundrum and how his lessons apply to the current situation. Along with a 30 minute precis of the book, Ken answers questions from the audience for another 40 minutes.
Leadership is Changing– Ken Wilcox with Denis Gianoutsos, April 10, 2025
What truly shapes a thriving organization – clever strategy or meaningful culture? In this powerful conversation, host Denis Gianoutsos is joined by Ken Wilcox, former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank and author of Leading Through Culture. With a background in philosophy and a career that spanned from Silicon Valley to Shanghai, Ken shares how leadership rooted in values and emotional intelligence can outperform even the sharpest strategic plans.
Denis and Ken explore the challenges of launching a bank in China, the cultural dynamics that shape leadership styles, and why leaders must walk the talk to build teams that thrive. From Theory X vs. Theory Y to real-world examples of cross-functional collaboration, this discussion offers practical insights and timeless principles.
Tune in to hear a thought-provoking exchange that redefines leadership – and invites you to lead with both head and heart.
The Financial Sector is Doing Just Fine– Ken Wilcox on Yahoo!Finance, March 10, 2025
On the second anniversary of SVB’s collapse, Ken Wilcox assesses the health of the regional banking sector.
How to Lead Across Cultures–Lessons from a CEO Who Did It-with Andrea Petrone, founder of World Class Leaders, February 13, 2025
Andrea Petrone speaks with Ken Wilcox, former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, about management in general. In particular, they explore Ken’s lessons about cross-culture management from his experience leading SVB’s joint venture bank in China.
What Really Happened To Silicon Valley Bank | Ken Wilcox (SVB CEO 2001 – 2011) on SVB’s Collapse and How China Took Over Shanghai SVB
with Jack Farley of Monetary Matters, February 12, 2025
Ken reflects on 30 years of service to SVB and its customers, as well as the stunning collapse of the institution in March 2023. Wilcox shares his findings from his new book, “The China Business Conundrum: Ensure That “Win-Win” Doesn’t Mean Western Companies Lose Twice,” in which he describes in detail how the Chinese wing of Silicon Valley Bank (“Shanghai SVB”) was serially hampered and eventually taken over by Chinese bankers acting in concert with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Ken Wilcox, Former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, on Doing Business in China– with Frank Lavin of Books and Insight Podcast, December 23, 2024
Frank Lavin talks about doing business in China with Ken Wilcox, the former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, who went on to run the SVB joint venture in China, the story of which resulted in his insightful book, “The China Business Conundrum.” Beyond his book, Ken also recommends “Red Roulette” by Desmond Shum and “Beijing Rules” by Bethany Allen for those interested in a deeper reading of the challenges U.S. businesses face in China.
Decoding Silicon Valley Bank’s Demise with its Former CEO, Ken Wilcox– with Coco Kee, BlockchainAsia Podcast, December 3, 2024.
In this episode, Coco Kee, a Crypto investor and advisor, sits down with Ken to understand the root causes of Silicon Valley Bank’s downfall and some lingering questions, e.g. why all the lines of defense failed, and why regulators were not more forceful despite being aware of the warning signs. They also discuss whether new players will be able to fill the hole left by SVB, and Ken reveals what happened to SVB’s joint venture in Shanghai.
The China Business Conundrum– with Professor Peter Lorentzen of University of San Francisco, December 1, 2024.
In this conversation, Ken describes the lessons he learned as he sought to do business in and with China. His first-person account “is essential for academics trying to understand China’s unique political economy and development trajectory.”
The China Conundrum: Ken Wilcox on Avoiding the ‘Win-Win’ Trap– with Namaan Mian, COO of Management Consulted
Ken shares his experience of navigating the complex, untold realities of doing business in China.
Collapse of a System: Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse & China’s Play w/Former SVB CEO Ken Wilcox– Business Game Changers, the Sarah Westfall Show
Ken discusses such issues as SVB’s collapse, general trends in banking, and Ken’s experiences in setting up SVB’s operations in China and his advice for future interactions with the CCP.
The Spectacular Overnight Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Going Out for Chinese– CEO Spotlight with David Johnson
Speaking with KRLD’s David Johnson, Ken appears on CEO Spotlight to describe how SVB disappeared and the lessons from his efforts to set up SVB’s operations in China a decade earlier.
The China Business Conundrum: One Bed, Two Dreams w/Ken Wilcox, former CEO, SVB – Economics Explored with Gene Tunny
Ken Wilcox, former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, discusses his book “The China Business Conundrum” and the challenges of doing business in China in a wide-ranging conversation with Gene Tunny. He explains the concept of “one bed, two dreams,” highlighting the disparity in goals between western and Chinese joint venture partners. Wilcox details his bank’s entry into China, emphasizing the strategic invitations and control exerted by the Chinese Communist Party. He recounts the extensive regulations and control mechanisms, including a three-year restriction on using Chinese currency. Despite the challenges, Wilcox values the experience, noting the complex interdependence between the U.S. and China.
China: One Bed, Two Dreams. Ken Wilcox, Former CEO, Silicon Valley Bank – Driving with Dunne
When a Western executive is called on to build business in China what should be his or her mindset? What are the most important things they need to know before they go? Ken Wilcox, former CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, has answers. For four years, Mr Wilcox ran a 50-50 joint venture with the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. On paper the two partners’ mission and objectives were totally aligned. Reality was a different story. In this week’s episode, Mr Wilcox delivers a master class in the realities of doing a joint venture in China, from the glorious honeymoon period to the hellscape of unexpected twists, turns, delays and obfuscations. It is pointless to whine or complain, says Wilcox. Just know how things work before you take your first steps and “try to lose your leverage gradually.” This week’s Driving with Dunne conversation previews Mr Wilcox’s forthcoming blockbuster book: One Bed, Two Dreams (retitled The China Business Conundrum), scheduled for publication in December (now November) 2024.
Leading Through Culture: Ken Wilcox on Management – Relentless Customer Leader
In this Podcast Ken discusses management challenges and successes with Dr. Chris Burns.
Special Groundbreaker Event: The China Business Conundrum. A discussion among Ken Wilcox, Michael Dunne, and David Barboza sponsored by the Asia Society of Northern California, December 16, 2025.
Perspectives with Wenchi Yu, April 14, 2025.
Host Wenchi Yu speaks with Ken Wilcox, author of The China Business Conundrum: Ensuring Win Win Doesn’t Mean Western Companies Lose Twice, CEO of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB, 2001-2011) and CEO and then Vice Chairman of SVB’s joint venture in Shanghai (SSVB) until 2019. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Ken characterizes the complexities of the joint venture project as “one bed two dreams,” a key reason why Silicon Valley Bank’s project with Shanghai Pudong Development Bank fell short of expectations.
Reflecting on these lessons, Ken advises businesses entering the Chinese market to be thoroughly prepared, understand their leverage, study Chinese negotiation styles from works like Sun Tzu’s Art of War, and cultivate strong government relations, recognizing the ultimate control of the government and the Chinese Communist Party over key decisions.
This is a timely discussion as the US and China continue public posturing while expressing a desire for one of the most consequential economic and trade negotiations.
The China Business Conundrum: Ensure That ‘Win-Win’ Doesn’t Mean Western Companies Lose Twice: Ken Wilcox and Wei Yang Menkus of the USF Center for Asia Pacific Studies, March 18, 2025
Expanding into the Chinese market can be a game-changer for American companies, but many CEOs underestimate the unique roadblocks ahead–challenges unlike anything they’ve encountered elsewhere. In this dynamic talk, Wilcox details his bank’s entry into China, unpacks the most common pitfalls, shares key strategies for success, and explores how the U.S. government can better support businesses operating in China.
Examining the Sudden Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Part 1: Ken Wilcox on Today in the Bay with Scott McGrew, March 9, 2025
Examining the Sudden Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Part 2: Ken Wilcox on Today in the Bay with Scott McGrew, March 13, 2025
Ken speaks with Scott McGrew on NBC’s Today in the Bay about China, tariffs, and the sudden collapse of SVB.
Organizational Leadership Series with Ken Wilcox
As part of our Organizational Leadership Series, Ken Wilcox, emeritus CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, and Todd Jick, Reuben Mark Faculty Director of Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia Business School, discuss the leadership and company culture takeaways in Ken’s recent book, “Leading Through Culture: How Real Leaders Create Cultures That Motivate People to Achieve Great Things.”
Leadership Through Culture at SVB feat. Ken Wilcox
There are levels to leadership, and at the CEO level, the leadership needs are many, but it’s important to strike the right balance. CEOs must think about strategy in both the short and long term but also must not lose sight of the culture they create. ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast,’ as Peter Drucker famously said, and a wise leader pays close attention to the culture in their organization. Ken Wilcox was CEO of Silicon Valley Bank until 2011. Now retired, he has become an author, whose book, “Leading Through Culture: How Real Leaders Create Cultures That Motivate People to Achieve Great Things”, is a guidebook for leaders of all kinds on how to create culture and, more importantly, why it is so important.
