Quantum computing has long been technology’s white whale. But in recent months, new developments suggest practical applications for this elusive technology could finally be within reach. “Quantum has been five to ten years away from fruition for many, many decades,” says McKinsey Partner Michael Bogobowicz. “Now it feels three to five years away.” In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Bogobowicz joins McKinsey Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to discuss how quantum differs from conventional computing, what its potential use cases are likely to be, and how to prepare for the highs and lows of a world that could move exponentially faster than it does today. 

In our second segment we ask, what’s the most important factor in having a successful transformation? McKinsey Senior Partner Michael Bucy says it’s the CEO.  

Articles mentioned:

Navigating tariffs with a geopolitical nerve center

The Global Trade Explorer

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One thing is clear for the fashion industry in 2025. Due to climate change, global trade uncertainties, and consumers focused on value, growth is expected to be slow. However, despite the negative environment, McKinsey Senior Partner, Gemma D’Auria says there are opportunities to mine. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, she speaks with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about our latest state of fashion research and how brands can navigate the challenges.

Theme music is composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

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Career advancement is tough for everyone—but for women, it can feel particularly elusive. There’s a reason for that, according to the new book The Broken Rung: for every 100 men promoted early in their careers, only 81 women experience that same opportunity. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, the book’s authors, McKinsey Senior Partners Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and María del Mar Martínez, join McKinsey Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to discuss the challenges that can limit professional women’s progress—as well as the approaches some have used to find their footing and continue to climb the career ladder successfully. 

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What's new on McKinsey.com?

Beyond the start-up phase: Recipes for growth at mobility companies

European automotive industry: What it takes to regain competitive

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Gen AI is evolving fast—but employee adoption is slow for most companies. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, we feature an episode of our technology podcast, At the Edge. Tech visionaries Navin Chaddha, managing partner at Mayfield Fund; Kiran Prasad, McKinsey senior adviser and CEO and cofounder of Big Basin Labs; and Naba Banerjee, McKinsey senior adviser and former director of trust and operations at Airbnb, join guest host and McKinsey Senior Partner Brian Gregg. They unpack the technical, cultural, and organizational challenges companies face—and what leaders can do to realize gen AI’s full potential while managing its risks.

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Companies are getting practical about how to create value from gen AI – while 5G, satellites, and innovations in phone design also take center stage.

This is a special, bonus episode of The McKinsey Podcast. McKinsey Partner Ferry Grijpink joined McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to share some immediate takeaways from the annual Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.

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Banking has had a couple of very good years—the best, in fact, since the global financial crisis of 2007–09. Yet to some, the industry’s outlook seems less buoyant than recent profitability might suggest. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partners Klaus Dallerup and Pradip Patiath speak with McKinsey Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about McKinsey’s latest global banking annual review, breaking down the sources of skepticism, the risks and opportunities of a changing landscape, and lessons leaders can take from banks that have consistently outperformed over the past decade.

Articles mentioned:

M&A Annual Report: Is the wave finally arriving?

Investing in housing: Unlocking economic mobility for Black families and all Americans

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CEOs are confronting double the number of critical issues today compared with ten years ago. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partners Daniel Pacthod and Kurt Strovink, along with McKinsey Senior Advisor Wyman Howard, join McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to discuss the characteristics today’s business leaders need to handle greater and more frequent waves of disruption and how organizations can create the infrastructure and conditions to build team-oriented leaders.

In our second segment, we examine three types of resiliencies that CEOs can develop within their companies with McKinsey Senior Partner Ida Kristensen. (Starts at about 18:05)

Article mentioned:

Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI’s full potential.

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The World Economic Forum was buzzing as leaders confront a world in flux. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partners Daniel Pacthod, Rodney Zemmel, and Tracy Francis talk with McKinsey global editorial director, Lucia Rahilly, about what happened in Davos last week (originally recorded for our webinar series, McKinsey Live). Key themes on the mountaintop were: AI transformation, resilience and geopolitics, EU competitiveness, the energy transition, and women’s health.

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Yes, the changing geopolitical reality presents new risks—but like all disruptions, it may also create new opportunities. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Cindy Levy and Shubham Singhal, global coleaders of McKinsey’s geopolitics work, speak with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about how leaders can orient themselves within this evolving geopolitical landscape and, in particular, begin to move beyond mitigating risk to finding and mobilizing on new opportunities. 

Articles mentioned:

The value now consumer: making sense of consumer sentiment and spending

Tariffs on the move? A guide for CEOs for 2025 and beyond

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Technology, talent, decarbonization—we explored these and many other topics this year on The McKinsey Podcast. A range of McKinsey partners joined us on the mic and offered their perspectives on the pivots that global business leaders have made to compete more effectively. On this episode, we revisit a few those discussions and offer quick takes from McKinsey partners on what has mattered most to CEOs and other C-suite leaders over the past 12 months.

Also, McKinsey senior partners Kweilin Ellingrud, Sven Smit, and Yuval Atsmon talk about their choices for McKinsey’s 2024 book recommendations.

Articles mentioned:

AI for IT modernization: faster, cheaper, better

A proactive approach to navigating geopolitics is essential to thrive

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