Inside the Strategy Room

302. What every CEO can learn from private equity

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Private equity firms have long outperformed their peers—not just through financial engineering, but by building better businesses faster. In thi...

301. Using generative AI to conduct outside-in diligence

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Generative AI is reshaping the way investors evaluate opportunities and replacing much of the manual work involved in completing an outside-in diligen...

300. The CEO’s agenda for thriving in the agentic age

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Generative and agentic AI are moving rapidly from experimentation to enterprise-wide transformation—but many CEOs are still grappling with what ...

299. The new CEO’s guide to stakeholder impact

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For new CEOs, engaging stakeholders is one of the most important—and most challenging—parts of the job. In this episode, Carolyn Dewar, Bl...

298. The CEO as a resilience leader

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Building resilience is a critical skill for organizations today, yet our research shows that many leaders and organizations don’t spend enough t...

297. Boards in the age of AI

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As artificial intelligence transforms how companies compete, many boards are grappling with how to provide effective oversight in this new era. Senior...

296. The power of rigor in transformation

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Companies that execute transformations with rigor are much more likely to achieve their goals, generate higher total shareholder returns, and enjoy be...

295. AI, strategy, and the future of work: What business leaders need to know

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

While artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from experimentation to execution, many companies still struggle to capture real value from the techno...

294. Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon on adapting to economic and technological change

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does today’s wave of AI and economic change really mean for markets, jobs, and leadership? In this episode, David Solomon, Chairman and CEO...

293. Private equity 2026 outlook: Clearer view, tougher terrain

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After a long period of uncertainty, the fog has lifted, and while private equity rebounded in 2025, the clearer visibility has also revealed a more co...

292. 2026 M&A Trends: Navigating a rapidly rebounding market

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Top dealmakers entered 2025 expecting to overcome continued challenges, but few anticipated how sharply trade and geopolitical pressures would intensi...

291. ‘Having a human bank is very important’: A conversation with Citi CEO Jane Fraser

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jane Fraser, Chair and CEO of Citi, talks with McKinsey Senior Partner and North America Managing Partner Eric Kutcher. After becoming CEO in March 20...

290. Tim Koller reflects on three decades of Valuation at McKinsey

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

From its origins as an internal three-ring binder to its status as a global reference text, Valuation has shaped how business leaders think about valu...

289. The CFO as growth leader: Levi’s Harmit Singh on transformation and the “Magic of the And.”

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Levi Strauss & Co. Chief Finance and Growth Officer, Harmit Singh, joins us to share lessons from his 13-year journey transforming the iconic clot...

288. Securing agentic AI: A playbook

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As organizations increasingly employ agentic AI, they face new risks that could disrupt operations, compromise sensitive data, or erode customer trust...

287. IBM Chairman, President, and CEO Arvind Krishna on setting bold ambition and driving growth through innovation

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 compa...

286. The Cigna Group’s Brian Evanko on improving affordability and prevention in healthcare

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Health insurers are facing urgent challenges related to affordability, access, and how to safely and effectively leverage AI and emerging technologies...

285. Keys to success for CFOs leading transformations

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

284. Becoming a Chief of Staff

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Leaders across both the public and private sectors are navigating an era of constant disruption. They're expected to deliver major transformations, ma...

283. The CEO as chief storyteller

25 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To ensure that their companies engage effectively with stakeholders, CEOs need to set communication standards, embody the organization’s culture...

Investing in innovation: A pathway to resilient growth

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In times of economic volatility, the temptation to focus on short-term profitability can become a trap that stalls longer-term projects designed to sp...

281. Pricing to create value across the private equity portfolio

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A small improvement in pricing can often drive greater value creation than larger cost or volume improvements. However, private equity (PE) funds face...

280. Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta on culture, strategy, and reinvention

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Nassetta has served as President and CEO of Hilton since 2007, leading the organization through some extraordinary challenges. Chris’s foc...

279. From the NFL to the C-Suite: Jason Wright on what it takes to transform organizations and build world-class teams

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do winning teams in elite sports teach us about driving transformation in business? This week, Kevin Carmody, a senior partner and global coleade...

278. Frontier Communications CEO Nick Jeffery on purpose, strategy, and keeping it simple

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Jeffery, President and CEO of Frontier Communications since 2021, has over three decades of strategic and operational leadership in the U.S. and ...

277. The new boardroom dynamic: More conversations, transparency, and trust

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Inside the Strategy Room, we discuss how the board’s relationship with management is evolving in an era of heightened uncerta...

276. From strategy to performance: Building a new operating model for a new world

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To successfully execute a strategy, organizations must make deliberate choices about their operating model. In this episode, Julie Goran and Dickie St...

275. M&A update: Dealmaking is higher, despite volatility

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After several years of slowed activity, mergers and acquisitions picked up in the first half of 2025, as disciplined dealmakers reentered the market d...

274. How Nestlé’s CFO sharpens focus across a global portfolio

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

273. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian: Lessons from the captain’s seat

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

272. Clear signals in a world of noise: The strategic realities of a new era

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Uncertainty often dominates the headlines, but it is possible to cut through the static to find clear signals in the global trends and demographic shi...

271. Mastering the cycles of CEO leadership: Starting strong, and staying ahead

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

270. Mastering the cycles of CEO leadership: Stepping up and sending it forward

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

269. Strategy under geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The current climate of geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty can complicate the strategy process and can make the idea of waiting for calmer time...

268. Accounting for carbon: SAP’s Dominik Asam on the CFO’s role

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Beyond reporting requirements and transparency imperatives, there’s a huge financial incentive to manage your company’s sustainability act...

267. Cybersecurity for CFOs: Defending against an accelerating threat

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s fast-evolving cybersecurity landscape, organizations face bigger and bolder threats that have wide-reaching implications − from...

266. Transforming procurement to transform your business

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

265. The Josh Harris playbook: building cultures of excellence in business and sports

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022, Josh Harris founded 26North, an alternative asset management firm that has reached close to $30 billion in assets under management in it...

264. Creating value through separations

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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’...

263. How Strategy Champions win

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Sean talks with four strategy experts who share the findings of their new research into the practices that separate companies that su...

262. Workday’s CEO on driving growth and transformation in the age of AI

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carl Eschenbach joined Workday in December 2022 to serve as co-CEO alongside Co-Founder Aneel Bhusri before becoming sole CEO in February 2024. I...

261. Retired US Navy Admiral Eric Olson: Leading effectively in uncertain times

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ef...

260. Boosting growth through innovation

20 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Even in a highly uncertain business environment, companies that build new businesses and develop new offerings, processes, and business models are bet...

259. Risk, Resilience, and Innovation: Insights from AXIS Capital's Vincent Tizzio

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Vince Tizzio is President and CEO of AXIS, a specialty insurance and reinsurance company that delivers customized solutions to organizations worldwide...

258. Andy Mattes on the challenges of driving M&A as CEO

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

257. The new and timeless truths of valuation

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Measuring value creation is critical, as company leaders grapple with geopolitical shifts, digital disruption, and other trends affecting their busine...

256. Doug Parker, former Chairman and CEO of American Airlines, shares leadership lessons

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As CEO challenges go, facing a global threat that is existential not just for your company but for your industry is among the worst possible. American...

255. Building transformation momentum through working capital optimization

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Holistic transformations are complex and can take a long time to show full results. By optimizing working capital early on, companies can help score e...

254. John Stankey, AT&T’s CEO and Chairman of the Board, on embracing long-term vision

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

John Stankey has led AT&T as CEO since July 2020, and was elected Chairman of the Board in February this year. Over his 40-year tenure, John has h...

253. Private capital gets more alternative

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For many years, the continued rise of private markets has been defined by assets under management (AUM), while the composition of the industry evolved...

252. Growth leader mindsets and behaviors

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Although every company wants to grow, only one in four is able to do so profitably and maintain that growth over time. This week, Sean speaks with thr...

251. Driving transformational behavior change at scale

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Transformation is a complex undertaking that relies heavily on achieving behavioral change within an organization. Three McKinsey transformation and o...

250. Building geopolitical resilience: A conversation with Michèle Flournoy

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Michèle Flournoy joins Andy West to share her perspectives on how companies can build their geopolitical resilience. Mich&egra...

249. Becoming CEO, just in time for global crisis: David Gitlin, Chairman and CEO of Carrier Global Corporation

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

David Gitlin is Chairman and CEO of Carrier Global Corporation, a global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions. With prior senior leaders...

248. Taking a proactive approach to geopolitics

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As geopolitical trends bring increased uncertainty and risk, CEOs and other business leaders can take action to get and stay ahead of it all. This wee...

247. Transforming for growth

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Companies often aim for growth or transformation, but it's less common for them to pursue transformation as a means of achieving growth. This week,&nb...

246. Alok Sama on corporate finance in the fast lane

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alok Sama spent years in corporate finance and as a managing director at Morgan Stanley before joining Softbank as CFO and plunging into founder-...

245. The six habits  of successful risk leaders

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To succeed today, chief risk officers (CRO) and other risk leaders must exert more influence and build organizational resilience in an increasingly co...

244. Filling the gap between innovation and go-to-market, with AWS’s Jelena Joffe

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

McKinsey innovation leader Erik Roth speaks with Jelena Joffe Weil, the founder and worldwide leader of the Venture Innovation program at Amazon Web S...

243. A road map to successful transformation

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Business transformation has evolved markedly in recent years as technology and the pace of change reshape the landscape organizations face. Once a byw...

242. Planning for the next wave of M&A

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week we speak with the authors of our latest Annual M&A Report about trends in the deal landscape and what we might expect from 2025. Will th...

241. The path forward for private equity

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Despite persistent uncertainty in global markets, 2024 was the year that private equity began to emerge from a multi-year fog, with a rebound in dealm...

240. Improving strategy with AI

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A key challenge to developing corporate strategy is moving quickly enough with the right insights to gain and maintain a competitive edge. Generative ...

239. CEO perspectives: Jim Fitterling, Chair and CEO of Dow Inc.

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation and transformation become critical imperatives for many organizations, especially as they grow larger and mature. The complex merger and se...

238. How leading CEOs excel at stakeholder engagement

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The best leaders are masterful communicators. They advance the aspirations of their companies with compelling, singular narratives that inspire a wide...

237. How Judy Marks leads Otis Worldwide Corporation through all manner of change

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Judy Marks is one of the few dozen women who lead Fortune 500 companies. She joined Connecticut-based Otis Elevator in 2017 as President, and was appo...

236. How corporate boards are responding to their changing role

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate boards face increasing complexity as factors such as technological and geopolitical change challenge the organizations they serve. At the sa...

235. Reimagining board communications

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the role of technology in improving board communications, the challenges boards face in managing information, and how AI and cloud-based pl...

What an AI-powered finance function of the future looks like

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus episode of Inside the Strategy Room, we feature an interview with OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar from the At the Edge podcast. Sarah joined...

233. Building the will to transform: The importance of communication in transformations

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The way leaders talk about the goals and process of transformation has a profound influence on outcomes. The process of transformation can challenge a...

232. Best of 2024 - What’s new in strategy: A view from the frontlines

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Senior partners Alex D’Amico, Michael Birshan, and Andy West join us for a conversation about the latest developments in the field of strategy. They...

231. Best of 2024 - Why strategists should embrace imperfection

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined by Charles Conn and Rob McLean, AM, the co-authors of The Imperfectionists: Strategic Mindsets for Uncertain Times. Charles is an investo...

230. How boards can tackle geopolitical risk

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate boards face increased complexity today, with heightened geopolitical risk key among the concerns they must consider as they guide the compan...

229. How to sustain transformation success

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Too often, business transformation is treated as a short-term exercise or financial goal. In this episode, three of our transformation experts share t...

228. How talent drives value in private capital

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sourcing and retaining talent is an evergreen challenge for companies, and it is even more important to realizing value creation goals in private capi...

227. Retired CIA Director John Brennan: Why modernization is ‘never over’

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Organizations often struggle to adapt to change, whether technological, economic, or geopolitical. Yet change is inevitable, especially as technology ...

226. Helping India’s e-commerce leapfrog into the future

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

McKinsey innovation leader Erik Roth speaks with Shiprocket cofounder and CEO Saahil Goel about how he built his e-commerce logistics company into a h...

225. Alex Gorsky, former chair and CEO of Johnson & Johnson

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we feature a conversation between Alex Gorsky, former chair and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, and Andy West, senior partner and global cole...

224. Strategies to navigate geopolitical uncertainty

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we discuss strategies for navigating geopolitical uncertainty with the authors of a recent article on the subject. Michael Birshan is a sen...

223. What’s new in strategy: A view from the frontlines

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Senior partners Alex D’Amico, Michael Birshan, and Andy West join us for a conversation about the latest developments in the field of strategy. They...

222. Investor perspective: A conversation with BlackRock’s Sandy Boss

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Sandy Boss, Senior Managing Director at global investment firm BlackRock and Chair of BlackRock UK, joins us on the podcast. In a conversa...

221. Building a superpower: How to turn a capability into a competitive advantage

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Companies have endless initiatives and plans, all with the promise to transform the organization and deliver attractive financial returns. However exp...

220. How gen AI can help accelerate M&A

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re joined by three McKinsey M&A experts to discuss the ways that generative AI is being used to streamline and improve the M&A process, f...

219. How leadership is changing for a changing world

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re joined by senior partners Kurt Strovink and Ramesh Srinivasan, coauthors, along with Hans-Werner Kaas and Dana Maor, of a new McKin...

218. Cisco Systems CFO on M&A, geopolitics, and the emerging AI opportunity

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re joined by Scott Herren, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cisco Systems, and Eric Kutcher, Senior Partner an...

217. How CFOs raise their game in midtenure

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we return to the CFO journey and discuss how CFOs can drive outperformance in the middle years of their tenure. We’re joined by Ankur Agr...

216. Making your strategic plan compelling to investors

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we discuss how companies can create value in today’s complex business environment and communicate that value effectively to investors by ...

215. Air Canada CFO John Di Bert on managing uncertainty

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we are joined by John Di Bert, CFO of Air Canada, and John Kelleher, a senior partner based in Toronto and the global co-leader of our Fina...

214. The secrets to outperforming in family-owned businesses

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we delve into a McKinsey.com report on family-owned businesses (FOBs) that demonstrates how, by combining four critical mindsets with five ...

213. Bonus: Starting a new CFO role

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Yuval Atsmon, the newly appointed head of McKinsey's finance function, joins us to share his perspectives on the chief finance role. Yuval ...

212. Do you have what it takes to be a CFO?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Leading the finance function of a large company comes with a broad mandate requiring wide-ranging capabilities and experience. This week, three expert...

211. 10 questions boards should ask about cybersecurity

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we discuss the top 10 questions boards should ask to ensure comprehensive cybersecurity oversight. We’re joined by Justin Greis,...

210. Transformation and new business building

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the challenges and opportunities of building new businesses within an organization during a transformation. How should business leaders bal...

209. Innovation in video gaming with Electronic Arts’ Chief Strategy Officer Mihir Vaidya

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation in online gaming requires keeping up with a broad mix of changes, including digital advances, audience desires, and artistic trends. In thi...

208. Preparing your organization for uncertainty

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we delve into practical strategies that organizations can implement to effectively manage and adapt during times of uncertainty. W...

207. Bonus: Deal Volume - Perspectives on a slower era in private markets

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are excited to present a special bonus episode of the Deal Volume podcast, which is produced by our Private Capital Practice. Our guest host for th...

206. Are you ready for a surge in M&A?

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s discussion covers several topics from our recent report on top M&A trends. We’re joined by senior partners Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oo...

205. Helping boards manage geopolitical risk with Jon Huntsman Jr.

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The need for board-level strategic conversations on geopolitical risk is urgent. To discuss how boards can guide companies through an increasingly com...

204. The transformation imperative for midcap companies

12 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Midcap companies have vast opportunities to increase their performance and scale if they reinvent how they work. Midsize companies don’t dominate ...

203. Managing the risks around generative AI

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Generative AI poses both risks and opportunities. Ida Kristensen and Oliver Bevan join us to discuss how we can mitigate the former while moving to ca...