Inside the Strategy Room

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 33:26) >  For Michelle Gass, the CEO of US retail chain Kohl’s, the pandemic delivered an education in the importance of decisive and inclusive leadership. But preparing the company for growth in the recovery, starting with a major partnership with cosmetics brand Sephora, is where her true passion lies. In this episode, she speaks with Sajal Kohli, leader of McKinsey’s global retail and consumer packaged goods work, about using the crisis to reposition the retailer for a new era.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 34:47) >  As the global leader of GS Accelerate, Goldman Sachs’ internal incubator that identifies, invests in, and develops new businesses, Tanya Baker has been instrumental in helping the financial services giant establish sustainable innovation capabilities. In this episode of the Committed Innovator series, Baker shares her experience evolving the program and fostering entrepreneurial ventures within the firm. Tanya spoke with Erik Roth, who leads McKinsey’s innovation work globally.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Airbnb navigated a major crisis in 2020–the online marketplace went from having its long-term survival questioned to staging a successful IPO several months later. In this episode, James Manyika, a senior partner based in San Francisco who co chairs the McKinsey Global Institute, talks with Brian Chesky about his experience leading Airnbnb through the crisis. Their discussion is based upon an article James recently co-authored titled, ‘It's time to build 21st century companies: Learning to thrive in a radically different world’ and inspired by his conversations and work with CEOs like Brian. You’ll hear James share some of the core insights from the article before Brian discusses how Airbnb addressed the sudden and dramatic plunge in its business, how they adapted their business model to those new realities, and how they led to a reimagination of how Airbnb defines its role in society and the economy. This podcast was recorded during a recent online global CEO event focused on growing out of the crisis.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 28:59) >  The process of joining a public company’s board tends to be complex and confusing, especially for first-time directors. In this episode of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast, Celia Huber, who leads McKinsey’s board services work in North America, speaks with experts on board membership and governance from the executive search and leadership consulting firm Spencer Stuart, based in Chicago, and the independent investment management company Invesco, headquartered in Atlanta. Julie Daum, head of Spencer Stuart’s board practice in North America, and Sarah Beshar, a corporate lawyer who chairs the nomination and corporate governance committee on Invesco’s board, about the preparations and commitments that newcomers to board service should expect.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Crises tend to give rise to remarkable innovations and insights. Today is just such a moment, raising challenges to many long-held beliefs about how companies should operate. In this episode, McKinsey’s global leader Kevin Sneader talks with senior partner Celia Huber about the eight trends that will shape the post-COVID-19 economy, which he writes about in his recent article, ‘The next normal arrives: Trends that will define 2021—and beyond’. Their conversation took place during a recent virtual event featuring conversations with business leaders around the world.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 32:40) >  As the former CEO of BBA Aviation and a senior executive at GKN, Simon Pryce has led organizations that grew rapidly through acquisitions. Now, as the CEO of Ultra Electronics, a British company that develops technology for defense and security industries, he is overseeing a corporate transformation that aims to position Ultra for future growth. In this episode of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast, he talks with Tanuja Randery, a partner in McKinsey’s Transformation Practice, about the company’s approach to innovation and how Ultra is building an adaptable workforce.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The gaps in performance between different sectors, and the companies within those sectors, increased last year. A major reason is a small group of outperformers that already had massive stock valuations before the COVID-19 crisis and have pulled further ahead since. In this episode of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast, co-authors of a recent article discuss what the performance of capital markets during the pandemic indicates about future economic and investment trends. Tim Koller is a leader in McKinsey & Company’s corporate finance practice and the author of the best-selling book, Valuation. Peter Stumpner leads the corporate performance analytics group within the Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice. He is the co-author of another article on which this podcast is based, “The impact of COVID-19 on capital markets, one year in.”Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

An innovation strategy has to be backed with resources and patient follow-through, says Peter Kjellberg, the guest on this episode of the Committed Innovator series, part of our Inside the Strategy Room podcast. In a conversation with Erik Roth, who leads McKinsey & Company’s innovation work globally, the chief marketing officer for the Swedish maker of products for mobile and outdoor living and the home, describes how Dometic Group seized the recent rapid growth in food and beverage delivery to create new products for the industry and consumers.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Patrick Finn, a leader in McKinsey & Company's Healthcare Systems, joins experts Mihir Mysore and Ophelia Usher to tackle the complexities of managing during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss adaptive leadership and the importance of reassessing strategies under extreme uncertainty. The conversation highlights the impact of optimism bias and the need for clear decision-making processes. They emphasize selecting resilient leaders and developing a comprehensive playbook to navigate unpredictability and enhance organizational mental health.

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 36:43) >  Boards of directors play a critical role in ensuring that management is well prepared for a wide range of potential shocks. In the fourth episode of our series on board perspectives around the most important issues facing organizations, this podcast looks at the role that boards play in building resilient companies. Frithjof Lund, who heads our board services work, leads a discussion with Gordon Orr, a non executive member of several companies’ boards and a McKinsey senior partner emeritus, and Martin Hirt, the global co-leader of McKinsey’s Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice. member of several companies’ boards and a McKinsey senior partner emeritus, and Martin Hirt, the global co-leader of McKinsey’s Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice.Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information