McKinsey Talks Operations

David Deninzon and Abhilash Sridharan, experts in banking operations and AI transformation, discuss how agentic AI is revolutionizing the banking sector. They explore the challenges of legacy systems and the need for a comprehensive approach to implementation. The conversation highlights successful AI applications that improve efficiencies, the critical roles of CIOs and COOs, and strategies to engage the workforce in this transformation. Their insights shed light on how banks can harness AI to boost performance and navigate regulatory complexities.

Join Darryl Piasecki, a McKinsey partner steering the COO Excellence initiative, and Tony Gambell, who translates strategy into actionable plans, as they dive into the evolving role of COOs. They explore why COOs are crucial for modern organizations, discussing essential priorities like vision, stakeholder relationships, and talent management. The duo shares insights on balancing conflicting priorities and emphasizes the importance of a strong personal operating model. With actionable advice, they guide COOs on building high-impact leadership strategies.

In 2025, operations underwent a transformation driven by generative AI and automation. Leaders redefined productivity and resilience amid global challenges. Insights reveal the potential of agentic AI in creating modular workflows, while the importance of decarbonization in operations takes center stage. The conversation delves into the role of AI-driven logistics in cutting emissions and costs, and how process mining uncovers hidden efficiencies. With global hubs emerging as innovative centers, the evolving role of COOs also promises to shape the future.

Eric Buesing, a Partner at McKinsey & Company, and Gadi Shamia, CEO of Replicant, explore the transformative power of agentic AI in customer care. They discuss how AI can evolve from basic bots to empathetic agents that handle complex interactions. Key insights include the importance of UX design for customer acceptance and the need for robust organizational changes to scale automation. The duo also highlights a successful DoorDash pilot, showcasing measurable goals and impressive automation rates. Discover how AI can reshape human roles in contact centers!

Organizations today are under constant pressure to do more with less—improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing experiences. Process intelligence is emerging as a game changer, revealing how work truly happens inside organizations and uncovering new opportunities for impact.  In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, host Daphne Luchtenberg is joined by Mike Kaufmann, healthcare leader, board member, and former CEO of a Fortune 15 company, and Steven Eklund, McKinsey partner specializing in service operations. Together, they explore how process intelligence is transforming healthcare and service industries—illuminating inefficiencies, accelerating decision making, and driving measurable results.  From diagnosing operational bottlenecks to enabling smarter automation, the discussion dives into how leaders can harness data-driven insights to redesign workflows, improve outcomes, and build more resilient organizations.  Tune in to discover how process intelligence can help leaders see their operations in a whole new light—and take performance to the next level.  McKinsey Talks Operations has much more content to offer on the Operations topics that connect strategy with lasting success. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore events and insights from McKinsey’s Operations Practice, and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Ravi Rajamani, Managing Director and Global Head of AI Blackbelts at Google Cloud, and Ben Meigs, Associate Partner at McKinsey specializing in AI in R&D, discuss the urgent need to improve declining R&D productivity. They highlight how AI can revolutionize processes, from design to validation. The duo emphasizes strategic investments in AI, the importance of fostering a culture of experimentation, and the need for effective governance. They warn that early adopters of AI will gain a significant advantage, compelling organizations to act swiftly.

Aligning financial and environmental performance is no longer optional—it’s a strategic imperative for long-term success. Organizations are under mounting pressure to reduce emissions without compromising financial performance. But navigating new regulations, volatile material costs, and global supply chain risk makes balancing cost and carbon incredibly complex. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, host Christian Johnson speaks with Matthias Ballweg, Co-founder of Circular Republic, along with McKinsey experts Anna-Christina Fredershausen, Associate Partner in Frankfurt, and Johan Bengtsson, Partner in Stockholm. Together, they explore how companies are executing dual mission strategies—lowering costs and carbon simultaneously—while unlocking new opportunities across their value chains. McKinsey Talks Operations has much more content to offer on the Operations topics that connect strategy with lasting success. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore events and insights from McKinsey’s Operations Practice, and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operationsSee www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Companies across industries are eager to adopt robots that can perform a variety of tasks with human-like flexibility. But achieving general-purpose robotics is no small feat—technical challenges like energy consumption, sim-to-real transfer, and safety concerns slow progress. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, host Daphne Luchtenberg is joined by McKinsey partner Ani Kelkar to discuss how advances in embodied AI, foundation models, and robotics design are breaking new ground. As robots learn to perceive, decide, and act in real-world environments. McKinsey Talks Operations has much more content to offer on the Operations topics that connect strategy with lasting success. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore events and insights from McKinsey’s Operations Practice, and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operationsSee www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Ani Kelkar, a Partner at McKinsey & Company based in Boston, discusses the transformative impact of robotics and automation on industry. He and industry experts tackle challenges like integration hurdles and the perception of risk, while highlighting innovations such as AI and digital twins that facilitate scalable solutions. They emphasize the importance of strategic investments in robotics, the critical role of workforce development, and how automation can enhance productivity without diminishing human roles.

Companies want to future-proof their supply chains without sacrificing agility or growth. Yet escalating tariffs and policy volatility could force them into reactive cycles, compounded by a lack of visibility in global supply chains and changing consumer preferences. From inventory tactics to operating model overhauls, our panel of experts explores how to shift from firefighting to foresight—creating systems that withstand shocks and unlock value. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, host Daphne Luchtenberg is joined by McKinsey partners Liz Hempel, Roman Belotserkovskiy, Valerio Dilda, and Riccardo Drentin for a conversation on navigating tariffs, shifting trade policy, and global supply chain complexity. McKinsey Talks Operations has much more content to offer on the Operations topics that connect strategy with lasting success. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore events and insights from McKinsey’s Operations Practice, and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operationsSee www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information