Inside the Strategy Room

Dipak Golechha is the Chief Financial Officer of Palo Alto Networks , a leading cybersecurity company. This episode features a conversation between Dipak and Eric Kutcher , our own CFO. Dipak and Eric discuss their experiences around the expanding CFO mandate, what it’s like to lead the finance function in a highly volatile business environment, and how they’re grappling with AI and other new tech...

China’s economy and business landscape have been going through significant changes. We speak with three experts who will help us understand those shifts and how multinationals can adapt their strategies to succeed in China. Our guests are Franck Le Deu , a leader of our Life Sciences Practice in China, Joe Ngai , chairman of our offices in Greater China, and Junna Shi, a partner who advises Chines...

Great CEOs know that the transition to their successor will define their legacy and cement the strength of what they’ve built. We speak with three McKinsey experts about how the best CEOs prepare for the final phase of their tenure. We're joined by Carolyn Dewar , a senior partner in our Bay Area office, Blair Epstein, a partner also based in San Fransisco, and Kurt Strovink , a senior partner in...

The best CEOs find a new gear and sustain momentum and high performance after the heady first years in the job. We're joined by Kurt Strovink , a senior partner in our New York office, and Carolyn Dewar , a senior partner in our Bay Area office, to discuss the four ways CEOs can avoid complacency and create even more value in their mid-tenure.  Related Insights Staying ahead: How the best CEOs con...

For any company, having a CEO who makes effective, strategic decisions can help teams go far. CEOs who excel at this have what McKinsey senior partner Sacha Ghai calls “CEO alpha.” In today’s episode, Sacha speaks with Brian Vickery , a partner in our Boston office who hosts our Deal Volume podcast which is focused on private capital. During today’s discussion, they’ll cover a range of topics, inc...

Dr Richard Haass shares his perspectives on how business leaders can navigate today’s complex geopolitical landscape. Richard is a veteran diplomat and respected scholar of international relations. He has deep experience in geopolitics. His diplomatic service includes counseling Colin Powell in talks in Afghanistan and three years as the US envoy on peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. Richard...

Many organizations embark on large-scale transformations, only to end with frustrated leaders and worse-than-expected long-term results. That doesn't have to be the case. Success is attainable and organizations that excel at implementation tend to outperform their peers financially. What sets these top performers apart? Olalla Montes , Nick Robson , and Nick Waugh join us to answer that question. ...

Hopper has acquired 100 million mobile users by offering consumer-friendly financial products and a gamified app experience, according to cofounder Frederic Lalonde. In this episode, Frederic takes us on a journey and explains how Hopper transformed from a company with the bulk of its initial revenue coming from airline ticket sales into a travel fintech business—selling algorithmically enabled fi...

Major League Baseball’s Chief Operating and Strategy Officer Chris Marinak speaks with McKinsey innovation leader Erik Roth about how the league is using fan feedback, experimentation, and data to change a game steeped in tradition and culture to reach the next generation of fans. This season, MLB implemented rules changes that fundamentally altered the pace and action of the game and continues to...

Many executives believe making growth  sustainable and inclusive  requires inscrutable trade-offs, forgoing revenue and profit for the sake of society and the planet. That is not always the case. Our new analysis indicates financially successful companies that integrate environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) priorities into their growth strategies outperform their peers—provided the...

The role of chief transformation officer (CTO) is often linked with cost-cutting. In this episode, we discuss how this is a misleadingly narrow view and explain why and how CTOs should correct that misconception and redefine the role. Our guests are Kevin Carmody , a senior partner in our Chicago office, AD Bhatia , a partner in our New Jersey office, and Emily Rizzi, an associate partner based in...

We speak   Brian Vickery and John Spivey , two authors of the 2023 McKinsey Global Private Markets Review . Brian and John join us to explore recent trends in private markets. They analyze why the markets have enjoyed strong tailwinds since the depths of the Global Financial Crisis and look at the origins of the recent slowdown. Will private markets continue to face headwinds? How did private mark...

In this episode, we explore the core principles of a successful investor relations strategy.  We're joined by Werner Rehm , a partner in our New Jersey office, Jay Gelb , a partner in our New York office, David Honigmann, a senior expert in our London office, and Karl Mahler , a senior adviser to McKinsey based in Zurich who brings over 30 years of experience as a healthcare executive, including a...

Our guest is Eric Lamarre , a senior partner in our Boston office and coauthor of the new book, Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI . Eric and his coauthors, fellow senior partners Kate Smaje and Rodney Zemmel, based their book on the results of more than 200 large-scale digital transformations, creating a detailed guide for companies seeking to outcompete in t...

In this episode, we explore why and how business leaders, and CFOs in particular, should try to see their businesses as investors see them.   We're joined by Chantal Lorbeer , a partner in our Munich office who advises global chemicals companies on their strategy, growth transformations, as well as their operating models and portfolio moves. Chantal co-leads our Strategy & Corporate Finance Pr...

In this latest episode in our Committed Innovator series Erik Roth speaks with Harley Finkelstein , an entrepreneur and innovator who is president of the multichannel commerce platform, Shopify . Their conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in learning how to create and build a business that scales. Harley and Erik speak about what it means to be an entrepreneur, why starting a...

The finance function and CFO's rope are evolving rapidly as digitization accelerates the pace of change amidst continuing economic and geopolitical volatility. Two expert colleagues join us to discuss how CFOs can help build world-class finance functions capable of withstanding external shocks and staying ahead of the competition.  Bjørnar Jensen  is a senior partner in our Zurich office, and Liz...

In this episode we talk about corporate venture capital: Why should you do it? How should you do it? And what should you expect from it?   Traditionally, established corporations have tended to view start-ups as undisciplined and naive, while start-ups might dismiss incumbents as stodgy and behind the times. It’s (mostly) not like that anymore, as both sides increasingly recognize each other’s str...

Today's episode focuses on how companies can manage risks and seize opportunities emerging from shifting geopolitical trends. We’ll talk about why organizations need to strategically invest in capabilities, people, processes, structures, and technology to navigate the risks arising from an evolving and fraught geopolitical landscape. Joining us is  Ziad Haider , McKinsey's global director of geopo...

Joining us for this episode is John Horn, author of the new book Inside the Competitor's Mindset . John’s book analyzes how businesses can better understand their competitors and maximize the value of their competitive insights. He is a Professor of Practice in Economics at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. We also have Emma Gibbs with us. Emma is a partner in our Lon...

Juvencio Maeztu is Deputy CEO and CFO of Ingka Group. Ingka Group is IKEA’s primary retail organization and represents roughly 90% of its global sales. Juvencio joined IKEA in 2001 and prior to starting his current role, he led IKEA India as CEO for over 6 years. Juvencio sat down with Sean Brown in London to discuss the company's triple bottom line: successfully meeting customer needs, achieving...

The road to becoming CEO is a difficult ascent for even the most seasoned leaders. We discuss the four keys to making that journey a success with Carolyn Dewar and Vik Malhotra, two of the authors of the New York Times bestseller, CEO Excellence .    Carolyn is a senior partner in our San Francisco office who founded and co-leads our CEO Excellence Practice. She works directly with Fortunate 100 c...

PepsiCo's design chief Mauro Porcini talks about the role of humanity and authenticity in driving innovation. In today’s episode, Mauro Porcini speaks with senior partner Erik Roth as part of our Committed Innovator series of discussions. Mauro is an enthusiastic innovator and design evangelist. He recently published The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People where he de...

The chief strategy officer’s role has expanded significantly over the past decade. We look at what it takes to be a successful strategist today. In this episode we discuss the ways in which strategy leaders’ responsibilities have expanded significantly over the past decade, with many adding other functions to their roles. Sean is joined by Emma Gibbs, a partner in our London office who leads our S...

In today's episode,  Teradata ’s chief financial officer, Claire Bramley , discusses the evolving role of finance leaders with McKinsey CFO, Eric Kutcher . Today, being a CFO requires harnessing the power of the “and” across many mandates: Playing offense and defense, leading the finance function, partnering with the broader C-suite, navigating short-term budget reallocation, and investing in stra...