Inside the Strategy Room

This week, we are joined by John Di Bert, CFO of Air Canada, and John Kelleher, a senior partner based in Toronto and the global co-leader of our Finance and Capital Markets service line.

Recorded at our recent CFO forum in London, this discussion delves into how Air Canada is positioning itself for sustainable growth and stability, the key financial strategies that other CFOs can apply in similarly complex industries, the financial leadership required to navigate the inherent uncertainties of the airline industry, and the strategic vision necessary for long-term value creation.

Related Insights
Corporate finance and the CFO role
The Seasons of the CFO (including How to prepare for the CFO role) 

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This week, we delve into a McKinsey.com report on family-owned businesses (FOBs) that demonstrates how, by combining four critical mindsets with five strategic actions, FOBs have a chance to quadruple their value in the next decade while maintaining resilience.

Our guests are Eduardo Asaf who is a partner in McKinsey’s Mexico City office, Acha Leke, who is a senior partner in our Johannesburg office, and Francesco Malatesta, who is a partner in our Dubai office.

Related insights:

The secrets of outperforming family-owned businesses: How they create value—and how you can become one

Insights on Private Capital

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This week, Yuval Atsmon, the newly appointed head of McKinsey's finance function, joins us to share his perspectives on the chief finance role.

Yuval is also a client-serving senior partner in our firm's Technology, Media & Telecommunications, and Consumer Packaged Goods practices, where he’s focused on helping companies with growth-led transformations. Yuval is based in London, where we recorded our conversation during our 22nd annual global CFO forum.

Our conversation delves into the evolving role of CFOs and the challenges today’s finance leaders face, from managing uncertainty and volatility to strategic planning and performance management. We’ll also discuss the impact of generative AI on finance, exploring how it can transform traditional processes and decision-making.

Related Insights

The Seasons of the CFO

Artificial intelligence in strategy

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Leading the finance function of a large company comes with a broad mandate requiring wide-ranging capabilities and experience. This week, three experts join us to explain how CFO hopefuls can acquire the credentials that matter most today.

Ankur Agrawal is a partner in our New York office and a leader in our Strategy and Corporate Finance and Healthcare Practices. He also heads our CFO and Finance Practice in the Americas

Dr Karolina Sauer-Sidor is a partner in our Madrid office and a leader in our Strategy and Corporate Finance, and Technology, Media, and Telecom Practices. She has led several finance transformations and supported multiple CFOs as they have started in the role.

Chris Halmy is the former Chief Financial Officer of Ally Financial. Chris was instrumental in restructuring Ally into a leading U.S. digital bank and consumer lender. Now retired from Ally, Chris sits on the boards of directors at Burford Capital, Western Alliance Bank, and Mercury Financial, and serves as a special advisor to McKinsey.

Related insights:

The Seasons of the CFO

How to prepare for the CFO role

Starting up ad a new CFO

Faster, smarter, bolder: How midtenure CFOs shift into a higher gear

Episode 162. Why today’s CFOs require ambidexterity

Episode 158. Seven mindsets and practices for new CFOs

Episode 147. The CFO’s role in talent development

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In today's episode, we discuss the top 10 questions boards should ask to ensure comprehensive cybersecurity oversight. We’re joined by Justin Greis, a partner in our Chicago office who leads McKinsey’s cybersecurity work in North America; Daniel Wallance, a senior expert in our New York office who focuses on cybersecurity and technology resilience in financial institutions, critical infrastructure companies, and public sector organizations; and Vinnie Liu, who is the CEO and co-founder of the cybersecurity firm Bishop Fox. 

Related reading

• Risk and Resilience insights 
  
• McKinsey technology insights 
• What is cybersecurity? 

Want to know more about cybersecurity? Talk to us. 

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We discuss the challenges and opportunities of building new businesses within an organization during a transformation. How should business leaders balance the need for transformation with pursuing new business ventures? What is the role of strategy in business reinvention? What evidence is there that optimizing the core business and building new businesses translates into higher performance? 

Our guests are senior partner Chris Hagedorn and partners Matt Banholzer, and Ryan Nguyen.

Related insights:

Listen to episode 187. Driving innovation with generative AI with Matt Banholzer and Laura LaBerge 

Stay up to date with the latest insights from McKinsey Transformation on McKinsey.com

Join the McKinsey Transformation LinkedIn community 

Discover the latest insights from our Strategic Growth & Innovation Practice on McKinsey.com 

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Innovation in online gaming requires keeping up with a broad mix of changes, including digital advances, audience desires, and artistic trends. In this episode, McKinsey innovation expert Erik Roth talks with Mihir Vaidya, the chief strategy officer of Electronic Arts, about these unique aspects of innovating in the gaming industry.  

We hope Erik and Mihir’s conversation will be valuable for all executives grappling with the challenges of dynamic and strategic resource allocation and the need to balance investment in growth with sustaining operations.

Related Insights

Listen to The Committed Innovator 

Read the edited transcript of this episode

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In today's episode, we delve into practical strategies that organizations can implement to effectively manage and adapt during times of uncertainty.

We explore a range of approaches, including scenario planning, risk management, cultivating leadership skills, and leveraging technology. Our guests also underscore the critical need for agility and swift decision-making when facing unpredictable conditions.

We are joined by McKinsey senior advisor Rear Admiral Wyman Howard III (ret.), Mihir Mysore, a partner in our Houston office who founded and leads our Crisis Response and Resilience Practices globally, Alex Panas, a senior partner in our Boston office who co-leads our Advanced Industries Practice, and Gregory D. Smith, Chairman of American Airlines.  

Related reading 

How to manage in uncertainty

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We are excited to present a special bonus episode of the Deal Volume podcast, which is produced by our Private Capital Practice.

Our guest host for this episode is Brian Vickery, a partner in the practice who is joined by the practice's leaders, senior partners Fredrik Dahlqvist and David Quigley, to discuss key insights from the 2024 edition of our Global Private Markets Review. We hope you enjoy this discussion on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the private capital landscape.

Related insights:

McKinsey Global Private Markets Review 2024: Private markets in a slower era

Listen to the Deal Volume podcast

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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

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