Arvind Krishna, the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of IBM, stepped into the CEO role at IBM in 2020, following 30 years at the company. Prior to that, he held various senior positions, spanning VP of Cloud and Cognitive Software to Head of Research, where he drove innovation in core technologies – including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and cloud platform services. In today’s episode, Arvind joins our North America Chair and senior partner Eric Kutcher to discuss ...
Jan 22, 2026•43 min
Health insurers are facing urgent challenges related to affordability, access, and how to safely and effectively leverage AI and emerging technologies. In this episode, McKinsey senior partner Celia Huber is joined by Brian Evanko , president and chief operating officer of The Cigna Group . In this role, Brian oversees all of the company's business units, including its two growth platforms: Cigna Healthcare, a health benefits business, and Evernorth, a health services business. Together, these b...
Jan 15, 2026•35 min
CFOs are increasingly helping lead transformations of their companies, which has a range of implications for how they manage their time and stay up to date with technology. Leading transformation has often been viewed as more focused on other members of the C-suite. McKinsey’s research shows the critical role that CFOs have in the success of a transformation. In this episode, we speak with three McKinsey experts on the subject. Kevin Carmody is a senior partner and the global co-leader of our CF...
Jan 07, 2026•52 min
Leaders across both the public and private sectors are navigating an era of constant disruption. They're expected to deliver major transformations, manage complexity, and balance competing priorities, all while ensuring their own teams are running smoothly. This is why the role of chief of staff has never been more critical. In this episode, three McKinsey experts–all former chiefs of staff–share insights on when a chief of staff is needed and what qualities distinguish those who excel in the ro...
Jan 01, 2026•47 min
To ensure that their companies engage effectively with stakeholders, CEOs need to set communication standards, embody the organization’s culture and purpose, and speak up in moments that matter most. In today’s episode, we discuss what it takes for a CEO to shape and own their organization’s narrative. Joining us is Blair Epstein, a partner in our Bay Area office and a leader in our CEO Excellence Practice, Max Gleischman, a partner in our New York office who leads our strategic communications t...
Dec 25, 2025•51 min
In times of economic volatility, the temptation to focus on short-term profitability can become a trap that stalls longer-term projects designed to spur growth. Yet as our long-standing research shows, companies that take a through-cycle approach to investing in growth and innovation consistently outperform their peers. In this episode, three innovation strategy and value creation experts share their latest research and tips for achieving resilient growth. Matt Banholzer is a senior partner in M...
Dec 17, 2025•49 min
A small improvement in pricing can often drive greater value creation than larger cost or volume improvements. However, private equity (PE) funds face unique challenges in identifying and addressing pricing opportunities across diverse portfolio companies, often lacking the dedicated tools and expertise to do so effectively. In this episode, Brian Elliott, Jordan Jakubovitz, and Michelle Nguyen discuss how PE funds can address these challenges and achieve efficient growth. Brian Elliott is a sen...
Dec 11, 2025•53 min
Chris Nassetta has served as President and CEO of Hilton since 2007, leading the organization through some extraordinary challenges. Chris’s focus on a sustainable growth model and a brand-led, network-driven strategy has enabled Hilton to cultivate 25 brands and serve more than 250 million travelers annually. In today’s episode, Chris discusses this journey with Eric Kutcher, our North America Chair and Senior Partner, and shares what he’s learned about leadership along the way. Looking ahead, ...
Dec 04, 2025•47 min
What do winning teams in elite sports teach us about driving transformation in business? This week, Kevin Carmody , a senior partner and global coleader of our CFO and finance excellence practice, speaks with former McKinsey partner Jason Wright , who helped lead a transformation as-president of the Washington Commanders (and is also a former NFL running back), and is now Managing Partner & Head of Investments at Ariel Project Level , a private equity fund focused on investing in women's spo...
Nov 27, 2025•35 min
Nick Jeffery, President and CEO of Frontier Communications since 2021, has over three decades of strategic and operational leadership in the U.S. and global telecommunications industry. As a seasoned transformation leader, he has guided Frontier from bankruptcy to a successful turnaround in under five years and is now steering the company toward a multi-billion-dollar deal with Verizon. In this episode, Nick joins our North America Chair and senior partner Eric Kutcher to discuss the opportunity...
Nov 24, 2025•33 min
In this episode of Inside the Strategy Room , we discuss how the board’s relationship with management is evolving in an era of heightened uncertainty and rapid change. We are joined by board directors Susan Chapman-Hughes and Lan Kang, as well as McKinsey’s Board Services leader Frithjof Lund, and explore how boards are shifting from episodic oversight to continuous engagement, leveraging more frequent dialogue with management teams, investing in trust and culture, and rethinking structure and c...
Nov 14, 2025•39 min
To successfully execute a strategy, organizations must make deliberate choices about their operating model. In this episode, Julie Goran and Dickie Steele, both partners based in New York, discuss the key elements that comprise an operating model and how leaders can design and implement one that drives performance. They explore the significance of moving beyond traditional structures to more emergent models, and share insights from their research on the trends that are shaping the future of orga...
Nov 06, 2025•34 min
After several years of slowed activity, mergers and acquisitions picked up in the first half of 2025, as disciplined dealmakers reentered the market despite continued uncertainty. In this episode, three McKinsey M&A experts share their recent analysis of global dealmaking, explore the continued outperformance of programmatic acquirers, and weigh in on what the rest of the year’s transactions might look like once the data are finalized. Jake Henry is a senior partner in our Chicago office and...
Oct 31, 2025•47 min
The CFO’s challenge has long been one of translating data into a story that the CEO and their management team can use to set strategy and make other decisions. As generative AI advances, the way that CFOs fulfil this role is changing, as guest and Nestlé CFO Anna Manz describes in this episode. Michael Birshan , a senior partner who leads our firm in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Israel, and host Sean Brown, speak with Manz about how she uses AI now and plans to in the future, the impact of g...
Oct 23, 2025•37 min
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines since 2016, speaks with our North America Chair and senior partner Eric Kutcher . After 25 years at Delta, including nearly a decade as CEO, Ed reflects on his journey leading the world’s largest airline by revenue—and America’s most recognized carrier, with more than 100,000 employees. The industry was hit hard by the pandemic, and he shares insights on what it takes to get through turbulent times, and keeping his people happy and invested in the company’s suc...
Oct 16, 2025•33 min
Uncertainty often dominates the headlines, but it is possible to cut through the static to find clear signals in the global trends and demographic shifts shaping the next era of global competition. In this episode, senior partners Chris Bradley and Andy West share their latest research into the strategic realities of a new era: the shift from a unipolar to a multipolar world, rapid technological advancements, demographic changes, the productivity imperative, and the role of energy in shaping the...
Oct 10, 2025•33 min
In this second episode of our two-part series on navigating the four seasons of successful CEO leadership, Carolyn Dewar and Kurt Strovink, two of the authors of the upcoming book A CEO For All Seasons , share insights drawn from top-performing CEOs on how to navigate the middle two stages of CEO leadership—starting strong as a new CEO and staying ahead—to maintain long-term effectiveness while at the top. Carolyn Dewar , a coauthor of the New York Times bestselling CEO Excellence, is a senior p...
Oct 03, 2025•44 min
In the high-stakes world of corporate leadership, becoming a Fortune 500 CEO is an Everest-like ascent, with only the savviest succeeding across every stage of the journey. Carolyn Dewar, Vik Malhotra, and Kurt Strovink, authors of the upcoming book A CEO For All Seasons , join Sean to share insights from top-performing CEOs on navigating the first and fourth stages of CEO leadership – preparing for the role and fortifying a legacy, in the first of two episodes based on the new book. Carolyn Dew...
Sep 26, 2025•47 min
The current climate of geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty can complicate the strategy process and can make the idea of waiting for calmer times look attractive. But as our guests today point out, waiting out the storm is not an option. Instead, organizations need to make bold strategic moves rooted in a thorough understanding of how they create value and the market conditions they face. In this episode, Sean is joined by Matt Watters, who is a leader in our Geopolitics, Government, and S...
Sep 18, 2025•33 min
Beyond reporting requirements and transparency imperatives, there’s a huge financial incentive to manage your company’s sustainability activities with data-driven business decision-making. To do so, efforts must be anchored in a data strategy that merges the financial and the ESG analysis. In this episode, Peter Spiller , a partner based in our Frankfurt office who co-leads our efforts in environmentally sustainable operations, speaks with Dominik Asam , Member of the Executive Board and CFO at ...
Sep 10, 2025•26 min
In today’s fast-evolving cybersecurity landscape, organizations face bigger and bolder threats that have wide-reaching implications − from financial and customer data breaches, to third-party infiltration and disruption far down the supply chain. Hacking has become an organized business, and AI and quantum technologies are as much a part of the threat as they are the solution. Charlie Lewis leads our North American and European cyber practices and is a partner in our Connecticut office. He suppo...
Sep 04, 2025•19 min
Procurement can play a crucial role in driving a company's transformation, and leaders are now recognizing its potential to be a strategic enabler of change. In this episode of Inside the Strategy Room, we explore the key findings from our recent McKinsey.com article titled “Aim higher and move faster for successful procurement-led transformation” . Teresa George , a partner in our Chicago office, Raul Santos , a partner in our Madrid office, and Cole Wirpel , an associate partner in our Atlanta...
Aug 28, 2025•43 min
In 2022, Josh Harris founded 26North , an alternative asset management firm that has reached close to $30 billion in assets under management in its first 3 years. Josh also co-founded Apollo Global Management and Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HSBE) and is a prominent figure in the sports management arena. He has stakes in the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, and Crystal Palace Football Club, amongst other teams. In this episode, Josh speaks with our North ...
Aug 21, 2025•27 min
Divestiture is one of the least discussed aspects of M&A, and yet separations can be a highly effective way of creating value. In this week’s episode, Sean speaks with two McKinsey experts on separations and spin-offs about their latest research on the subject. Jamie Koenig coleads our separations and spin-off client work globally and is a partner in our New York office. He has more than a decade of experience helping clients navigate complex transactions, having worked on hundreds of deals,...
Aug 14, 2025•45 min
In this episode, Sean talks with four strategy experts who share the findings of their new research into the practices that separate companies that succeed at building and executing an excellent strategy from those that do not. You can read more about their research in the new McKinsey Quarterly article titled, How Strategy Champions win . Alex D'Amico co-leads our strategy work globally and leads it in North America. He is a senior partner in our Connecticut office where he helps companies acro...
Aug 07, 2025•57 min
Carl Eschenbach joined Workday in December 2022 to serve as co-CEO alongside Co-Founder Aneel Bhusri before becoming sole CEO in February 2024. In this episode, our North America Chair and senior partner, Eric Kutcher, talks with Carl about taking a ‘co-existence’ view of the role of AI in the workforce as a source of productivity, building an endurable company with a growth mindset culture, and the responsibility of leaders to serve the success of others. Related Insights Becoming CEO—just in t...
Jul 31, 2025•30 min
In this episode, we speak with Eric Olson, a retired US Navy Admiral with a distinguished career in special operations, about the key principles of effective leadership, particularly in times of uncertainty. Eric shares insights from his experiences leading high-performing teams and organizations through complex challenges, offering valuable leadership lessons for executives in today's rapidly changing business landscape. Related insights: A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadershi...
Jul 24, 2025•28 min
Even in a highly uncertain business environment, companies that build new businesses and develop new offerings, processes, and business models are better able to capture growth opportunities and hedge against disruption. Our recent survey of more than 1,000 companies around the world reflected this, with the largest share of respondents identifying the ability to innovate as their most important strategic factor for generating growth over the coming 12 months. To discuss the survey and talk abou...
Jul 20, 2025•40 min
Vince Tizzio is President and CEO of AXIS, a specialty insurance and reinsurance company that delivers customized solutions to organizations worldwide. Since taking on the role in May 2023, Vince has led AXIS on an ambitious transformation journey. In this episode, he speaks with McKinsey senior partner and North America Chair Eric Kutcher about what it means to take on the CEO role, how to lead through significant change with conviction and care, the kind of exposures companies should consider ...
Jul 10, 2025•32 min
Mergers and acquisitions are among the more complex processes new CEOs have to learn, whether they’re in the role for the first time or taking over at a new company. Andreas “Andy” W. Mattes has navigated this multiple times in his roles as CEO of Siemens Communications, Diebold, and later of Diebold Nixdorf, and now of the laser technology company Coherent. In this discussion with M&A practice leader Jake Henry , Andy talks about the roller-coaster ride that M&A can be, and the critical...
Jul 04, 2025•34 min
