Frank D’Amelio has been the CFO of Pfizer for 14 years, but the past 18 months have been like unlike any other. In this episode, he relates how the company addressed the most urgent and massive challenge in its history: developing a vaccine for COVID-19. Working in partnership with BioNTech, Pfizer accomplished that feat in record-breaking time, helping to alleviate the biggest global health crisis in living memory. D’Amelio spoke with Rodney Zemmel, global co leader of McKinsey Digital, during a virtual event we recently hosted for finance executives.

The race to create a vaccine: A conversation with Pfizer’s Frank D’Amelio

We talk with McKinsey partners and corporate executives on the challenges they face creating lasting strategies in a fast-changing world. We also examine the different ways these executives approach these challenges and the new and innovative ways they think of creating a vision for their enterprises.

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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 Oostende, who co-lead our M&A; work globally, and senior partners Michael Birshan and Andy West, who co-lead our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice.
We discuss the changing landscape of M&A;, the shift from consolidation to growth and capability building, the importance of integration planning, the role of private equity, and the impact of regulatory review cycles. We also touch upon the concept of 'transact to transform' and the increasing trend of alliances and joint ventures.

Related reading
Top M&A; trends in 2024: Blueprint for success in the next wave of deals
Gen AI: Opportunities in M&A; Discover our latest insights and join more than 90,000 influential professionals who are part of our LinkedIn community.: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/ See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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

The need for board-level strategic conversations on geopolitical risk is urgent. To discuss how boards can guide companies through an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, we’re joined by Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon is a former US governor and diplomat who has spent nearly two decades in US public service at the state, national, and international levels. He sits on the boards of Ford, Mobileye, and Chevron, and is also the Vice Chairman of MasterCard. We're also joined by Ziad Haider, a partner in our Singapore office who co-leads our Geopolitics Practice, and Celia Huber, a senior partner in our Bay Area location who leads our North American Board Services Practice.

Further reading:
Black swans, gray rhinos, and silver linings: Anticipating geopolitical risks (and openings) 

How global companies can manage geopolitical risk 
Boards can guide companies through geopolitical headwinds
Geopolitical resilience: The new board imperative 
How three global companies navigate geopolitical risk to build resilience Discover our latest insights and join more than 90,000 influential professionals who are part of our LinkedIn community.: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/ See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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

Midcap companies have vast opportunities to increase their performance and scale if they reinvent how they work. 

Midsize companies don’t dominate the headlines and investor attention the way large corporations do, but they represent more than 40 percent of the global workforce and account for approximately one-third of most economies’ GDP. 

However, the productivity of small and midsize businesses is only half that of large companies, and lower in emerging economies. These businesses have vast opportunities to increase their performance and scale.
In this episode, we discuss how midcaps can seize the opportunity to transform themselves and reach a significantly higher level of performance.
Joining us are Zakir Gaibi, a senior partner in McKinsey’s Johannesburg office, Mauricio Janauskas a senior partner in the Santiago office, and Kedar Naik is a partner in the Brussels office. You can read their article Unleashing the power of midcap companies on McKinsey.com
Join the McKinsey Transformation community on LinkedIn. Discover our latest insights and join more than 90,000 influential professionals who are part of our LinkedIn community.: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/ See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

204. The transformation imperative for midcap companies

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 capture the latter from day one.
Ida Kristensen is a senior partner in our New York office. She coleads the Risk & Resilience Practice and advises leading financial institutions on cybersecurity, strategies for risk management, regulatory compliance, and operational improvement.
Oliver Bevan is a partner in our Chicago office and a leader in our Risk and Resilience and Technology Practices. He leads our client work at the intersection of technology and risk, focusing on generative AI, data privacy, third party management, and trust and safety.
Ida and Oliver’s article, Implementing generative AI with speed and safety is available on McKinsey.com

Related reading:
The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier
A generative AI reset: Rewiring to turn potential into value in 2024 Discover our latest insights and join more than 90,000 influential professionals who are part of our LinkedIn community.: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/ See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

203. Managing the risks around generative AI

M&A; dealmakers have been on a wild ride. From the pandemic-fueled rout in 2020 to 2021’s record-breaking recovery, followed by a steep decline in 2023, the global M&A; market has offered something of a masterclass in volatility. In this episode, we are joined by senior partners Jake Henry, Mieke Van Oostende, and Andy West to discuss the trends in the global M&A; environment in 2024 and what they mean for business leaders. Jake and Mieke recently published a report on McKinsey.com, Top M&A; trends in 2024: Blueprint for success in the next wave of deals, which forms the basis for our discussion.
The report also includes a compendium of articles analyzing deal activity in the chemicals, tech media and telecom, life sciences, financial services, consumer goods, and transport and logistics industries in 2023. 
  Discover our latest insights and join more than 90,000 influential professionals who are part of our LinkedIn community.: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/ See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The race to create a vaccine: A conversation with Pfizer’s Frank D’Amelio

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