Wade Foster, CEO of Zapier, Named Chief Influencer

The Communications Board names Wade Foster, Co-Founder and CEO of Zapier, a Chief Influencer.

What does lasting influence look like in an age defined by automation and artificial intelligence? In this episode of Chief Influencer, Wade Foster shares how he built Zapier into one of the world’s leading workflow automation platforms by focusing not on visibility, but on meaningful behavior change.

From his early days in Jefferson City, Missouri, to leading a fully remote global company, Foster reflects on how influence is earned through action that removes friction, connects systems, and unlocks human potential.

Foster discusses why leaders should default to action instead of over-planning, how transparency builds trust in a distributed workforce, and why culture must be nurtured internally before influence can expand externally. He offers a pragmatic perspective on AI, emphasizing that while technology can execute tasks, responsibility and judgment must remain human. For Foster, real influence is not measured by attention. It is measured by whether people work differently, think differently, and create differently because of what you built.

Host: Anthony Shop
Guest: Wade Foster
Producer: The Communications Board
Sponsor: The George Washington University College of Professional Studies

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