Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess.
On this our 288th episode, our guest is Robbie Bach.
Robbie Bach is a bestselling author and former tech executive who helped lead Microsoft through some of its most dynamic years. As the Chief Xbox Officer, he spearheaded the creation of the iconic Xbox and Xbox 360. After retiring from Microsoft, he shifted his focus to philanthropy, civic advocacy and storytelling.
Robbie Bach joined Microsoft in 1988. Over the next 22 years, he worked in various marketing, general management and business leadership roles, including supporting the successful launch and expansion of Microsoft Office. As Chief Xbox Officer, he led the creation and development of the Xbox business, including the launch of the Xbox and its highly popular successor, the Xbox 360. He retired from Microsoft as the president of the Entertainment and Devices Division in 2010. In his new role as a civic engineer, Robbie works with corporate, philanthropic and civic organizations that are driving positive change in our communities. He guest lectures extensively at various colleges and universities and speaks to corporate, civic and trade association audiences across the country. In 2015, he published his first book, “Xbox Revisited: A Game Plan for Corporate and Civic Renewal.” His debut novel featuring Tamika Smith, “The Wilkes Insurrection,” was published in 2021. He is the former chairman and current board member at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He serves on the national board of governors for Boys and Girls Clubs of America and was the chairman of that board from 2009 to 2011. He is also a board member for Habitat for Humanity International and Genius Sports. He previously served as a board member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Sonos, Brooks Running Company, the Space Needle, Magic Leap and Year Up Puget Sound. He is the co-owner of Manini’s, a company specializing in gluten-free foods. He was an Arjay Miller Scholar at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he earned his MBA, and a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, where he earned his degree in economics. He and his wife, Pauline, reside in Washington state, with their yellow lab, Roscoe. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.
His first novel, “The Wilkes Insurrection,” introduced readers to Senator Tamika Smith in a high-stakes battle against a domestic terror conspiracy. In his latest novel, “The Blockchain Syndicate,” Bach continues the gripping saga as Tamika faces a cryptic criminal syndicate threatening America’s financial and political foundations.
