Inside the Strategy Room

Eric Lamarre, McKinsey senior partner and coauthor of 'Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI', shares insights from over 200 large-scale transformations. Topics include fundamental changes needed for success, focusing on business problems in digital transformation, challenges in implementing technology, building in-house capabilities, and strategies to overcome IT complexity.

In this episode, Chantal Beck and Justin Sanders join the hosts to discuss viewing businesses from an investor's perspective. They explore the differences in mindset between CEOs and investors and the challenges of aligning perspectives on value creation. They also discuss the evolving role of the CFO, factors for valuation assessment, and the importance of strategic thinking for CFOs.

Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, discusses the entrepreneurial journey, the rise of Shopify as a platform for small merchants, creating an organizational model for innovation, and starting a new business called Firebelly T.

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 Fasciana, is a senior partner in our London office. Both work extensively with CFOs around the world. They spoke with Sean at McKinsey’s CFO Forum in London in June. Related insights:   CFOs and the evolving finance function Join our LinkedIn community of more than 90,000 members and follow us on Twitter at @McKStrategy.  Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.com   Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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 strengths and the value of collaborating. In fact, large companies are now involved in about a third of all venture deals—an all-time high. More than three-quarters of the Fortune 100 are active in the venture capital (VC) space and half have a VC arm set up as a subsidiary, not including companies with internal VC business units.  Joining us to discuss this innovation and investment landscape are Matt Banholzer and Sid Ramtri. Matt is a partner in our Chicago office who heads up innovation at McKinsey and is a leader in our growth and LEAP business building practices. Sid is an associate partner in our São Paulo office and a core member of our private equity and venture capital practices.   Related insights:   How to make investments in start-ups pay off  How to build a unicorn: Lessons from venture capitalists and start-ups  The Ecosystem Economy   Join our LinkedIn community of more than 90,000 members and follow us on Twitter at @McKStrategy.  Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.com   Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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 geopolitical risk, Leo Geddes, a partner based in London who co-leads our geopolitics client service globally, and Olivia White, a senior partner in our Bay Area office who is also a director of the McKinsey Global Institute. Related insights: How to navigate geopolitical risk amid a fragmenting global order How three global companies navigate geopolitical risk to build resilience How to build geopolitical resilience amid a fragmenting global order  War in Ukraine: Twelve disruptions changing the world  Join our LinkedIn community of more than 90,000 members and follow us on Twitter at @McKStrategy. Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.com  Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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 London office, and head of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice in the U.K., Ireland, and Israel. Join our LinkedIn community of more than 90,000 members and follow us on Twitter at @McKStrategy. Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.comSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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 financial outperformance, and ensuring a sustainable environmental footprint. Join our LinkedIn community of more than 89,000 members and follow us on Twitter at @McKStrategy. Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.comSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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 client CEOs to help them maximize their effectiveness in the role. Vik is a senior partner in our New York office, who is one of our firm’s most senior client advisors. Vik has served on our board of directors and as our Managing Partner of the Americas, and he currently focuses on counselling CEOs and boards. Our Voices of CEO Excellence interviews with: James Gorman Stephen Schwarzmann, and Ken Frazier Our previous episodes on CEO excellence: Starting strong: Making your CEO transition a catalyst for renewal Leadership lessons from the world's best CEOs Join our LinkedIn community of more than 89,000 members and follow us on Twitter at @McKStrategy. Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.comSupport the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

PepsiCo's design chief Mauro Porcini talks about the role of humanity andauthenticity 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 describes the power of design to drive sustainable and inclusive growth. He is passionate about unleashing people’s natural innovative tendencies. In his discussion with Erik, Mauro demonstrates how the best innovations go beyond the need to make a profit and come from an authentic motivation to create something extraordinary for people. He also shares the five different phases that are essential for building an innovative mindset and culture in any organization. Join our LinkedIn community of more than 89,000 members and follow us on Twitter at @McKStrategy. Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.com  Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information