In this episode, Kweilin Ellingrud—Director at the McKinsey Global Institute and Senior Partner at McKinsey,

breaks down the gender pay gap as a solvable, data-driven problem. We trace where inequity actually begins (the “broken rung” at first promotion), how it compounds through performance reviews and caregiving penalties, and why “it’s just choices” doesn’t hold up once you control for role and tenure. 

Kweilin shares the fixes leaders can implement this quarter: transparent pay bands, balanced promotion slates, skills-based hiring, disciplined pay equity audits, and manager training that sticks. We also explore how AI and productivity gains could widen or close the gap—depending on governance. You’ll leave with a six-step playbook, concrete KPIs to track progress, and quick experiments any org can run to make fair pay the default.