Dara Khosrowshahi

I think my background, coming from Iran, which is a great country but is going through its share of troubles, really allows me to appreciate what we have here. ”

Desperation sometimes drives innovation. ”

I think I wanted to be a doctor. In Iran, the engineering and medical professions are worshipped. My father very much wanted me to be a doctor. I was certainly eager to please as a young man - as a kid, I should say. ”

One of the early lessons that I learned in leadership is that it's the leader's job to always go against the flow. ”

The American dream is you come here, you believe in democracy, you believe in the Constitution, you work hard, you can make it. ”

My father had to go back to Iran to take care of his father when I was 13 and was detained for six years before returning. My mom was raising three kids without a dad. ”

I love Expedia. ”

We sure didn't feel like refugees, but in hindsight, I guess we were - my father and mother left everything behind to come here - to be safe and give their boys a chance to rebuild a life. ”

It was a choice between a paint factory in Indianapolis - a management training program to maybe run the paint factory one day - or go to New York City and become an investment banker. It wasn't a very difficult decision. ”

What some Americans don't appreciate is how strong the brand of the American Dream is around the world. I'm an example of how powerful that product is. ”