Running Through Walls

Part two of the discussion between former Genentech and Facebook CFO David Ebersman and Venrock’s Bryan Roberts centers on Ebersman’s time at Genentech, where he started working in his 20s and worked up his way up, eventually becoming CFO. He shares anecdotes about working with another executive dynamic duo, Art Levinson and Sue Desmond-Hellmann, and what he learned about problem-solving after working closely with them for several years. Ebersman also discusses Roche’s hostile takeover of Genentech in 2009, and his perspective on financial modeling following the deal.