• 297. Boards in the age of AI
    Apr 2 2026

    As artificial intelligence transforms how companies compete, many boards are grappling with how to provide effective oversight in this new era. Senior partners Aamer Baig, Celia Huber, and senior advisor Rebecca Schechter join host Sean Brown Inside the Strategy Room to discuss their recent article on how directors can rethink their guidance on AI adoption and readiness, while navigating risks that cut across strategy, talent, and governance.

    The AI reckoning: How boards can evolve

    Rewired: How leading companies win with technology and AI

    McKinsey Insights on Strategy & Corporate Finance

    McKinsey Strategy & Corporate Finance on LinkedIn

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    46 mins
  • 296. The power of rigor in transformation
    Mar 25 2026

    Companies that execute transformations with rigor are much more likely to achieve their goals, generate higher total shareholder returns, and enjoy better organizational health. In this episode, Preeya Mody and Dominic Skerritt join host Sean Brown to share insights from their latest research on the role of rigor in driving and sustaining successful transformations. They discuss what defines rigor in a transformation, explore the three elements that rigorous transformations consistently demonstrate, and share practical advice for sustaining momentum without burning out teams.

    Related insights

    Going all in: Why employee ‘will’ can make or break transformations

    The McKinsey Organizational Health Index

    Wave by McKinsey

    Seven principles for achieving transformational growth

    Beyond transformation: What we now know about driving bottom-line performance

    The powerful role financial incentives can play in a transformation

    McKinsey Insights on Transformation

    McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn

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    48 mins
  • 295. AI, strategy, and the future of work: What business leaders need to know
    Mar 19 2026

    While artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from experimentation to execution, many companies still struggle to capture real value from the technology. In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Jean-Paul Carvalho and Robin Nuttall to explore how CEOs can more effectively scale AI and to discuss the technology's implications for the future of work and organizations.

    Jean-Paul is Professor of Political Economy at the University of Oxford’s Department of Economics and Director of Oxford Elevate. Robin Nuttall is an expert partner in our London office and a leader of our regulatory strategy and environmental, social, and governance work. Robin is also a Business Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Economics Department.

    Related insights
    How AI is transforming strategy development
    The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation
    Building next-horizon AI experiences
    Artificial intelligence in strategy

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    35 mins
  • 294. Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon on adapting to economic and technological change
    Mar 11 2026

    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 of Goldman Sachs, joins our North America Chair and senior partner, Eric Kutcher, to explain why he sees the current moment as more evolutionary than unprecedented. Solomon discusses what’s driving market resilience in 2026, including fiscal policy, AI infrastructure investment, and shifting trade dynamics. He also shares how Goldman is using AI to boost productivity, reengineer core processes, and invest for long-term growth—as well as candid lessons on leadership, resilience, and decision-making at the top. This episode was recorded in December 2025.

    Related insights

    The strategic realities of a new era

    ‘Saying “I don’t know” is one of the hardest things a leader can do’: A conversation with Delta CEO Ed Bastian

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

    Building geopolitical resilience: A conversation with Michèle Flournoy

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    41 mins
  • 293. Private equity 2026 outlook: Clearer view, tougher terrain
    Mar 4 2026

    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 complex and demanding landscape.

    In this episode, the authors of our 2026 Global Private Markets Report unpack the structural shifts reshaping the industry—from elevated multiples and longer hold periods to the growing importance of scale, specialization, and alternative capital. They also explore how artificial intelligence is emerging as a core driver of competitive advantage, with early adopters embedding AI into pricing, productivity, and portfolio strategy to create structural alpha.

    As private equity continues to mature, dispersion between leaders and laggards is set to widen. The question for dealmakers, operators, fundraisers, and LPs alike: who is equipped to best navigate this new terrain?


    Related insights

    Global Private Markets Report 2026 Private equity: Clearer view, tougher terrain

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    54 mins
  • 292. 2026 M&A Trends: Navigating a rapidly rebounding market
    Feb 25 2026

    Top dealmakers entered 2025 expecting to overcome continued challenges, but few anticipated how sharply trade and geopolitical pressures would intensify. In this episode, Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende, the global co-leaders of our M&A Practice, share key themes from our annual M&A report. They reflect on how dealmakers maintained focus, adjusted portfolios, and capitalized on shifting sector dynamics to drive substantial growth in 2025. They also share their perspectives on the five trends driving M&A in 2026.

    Related Insights

    Read the full report on McKinsey.com: 2026 M&A trends: Navigating a rapidly rebounding market

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    49 mins
  • 291. ‘Having a human bank is very important’: A conversation with Citi CEO Jane Fraser
    Feb 19 2026

    Jane Fraser, Chair and CEO of Citi, talks with McKinsey Senior Partner and North America Managing Partner Eric Kutcher. After becoming CEO in March 2021, Jane launched a multi-year strategy to transform, simplify, and modernize the bank for the digital age – leveraging Citi’s unique global context to reset where and how it competes. Jane speaks about what the last five years have looked like for Citi and the role AI and blockchain technologies are playing, as well as what she’s learned along the way about talent, intent, and resilience. She also shares the global trends she is seeing as one of the world’s most well-travelled CEOs.

    Related Insights

    ‘You’ve got to be willing to “do,” as opposed to getting disrupted by somebody else’: A conversation with IBM CEO Arvind Krishna

    ‘Saying “I don’t know” is one of the hardest things a leader can do’: A conversation with Delta CEO Ed Bastian

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    43 mins
  • 290. Tim Koller reflects on three decades of Valuation at McKinsey
    Feb 12 2026

    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 value creation for more than 30 years.

    In this episode, co-author Tim Koller joins the co-leaders of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice, Andy West and Dago Diedrich, to reflect on the evolution of Valuation, the principles that have remained timeless, and the lessons learned across market cycles, bubbles, and changing executive expectations. Tim also shares his perspective on long-term orientation, disciplined leadership, and the legacy he hopes the book leaves with the business community.

    Related Insights

    Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies

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    29 mins