The McKinsey Podcast

Over the past 100 years, humanity has made stunning advances: longer lives, higher incomes, and billions of people lifted out of poverty. Much of that progress remains uneven and incomplete, however. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , we share an adapted conversation from the McKinsey Global Institute’s (MGI) podcast A Century of Plenty , which draws on insights from the institute’s recent book of the same name. The book’s coauthors, McKinsey’s Chris Bradley , Marc Canal , Nick Leung , and Sven Smit, explore whether a new era of broad-based prosperity will extend into the next century. After, McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro is joined by coauthor Sven Smit, senior partner emeritus, to discuss where the next big ideas will come from and how leaders should think about knowledge and judgment in an AI-driven world. For more insights from the book and to hear more from its authors, tune into MGI’s new podcast series A Century of Plenty on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Geopolitical fragmentation, the rise of AI, and growing concern about supply chain resilience are putting US manufacturing back in the spotlight. But strengthening America’s industrial base isn’t simply a matter of bringing factories home. The US imports roughly $3 trillion in manufactured goods each year, and some of its most critical supply chains would require a dramatic expansion of domestic capacity. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) Chair and Senior Partner Shubham Singhal and Senior Fellow Rebecca J. Anderson join Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to explore where the United States is most vulnerable, what it could cost to rebuild critical manufacturing capacity, and how AI, investment, and American innovation could change the equation. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Shoppers are awash in product recommendations. But do they trust them? “We found significant skepticism around algorithm-driven channels like social media, and in particular generative AI, where the trust level is below 40 percent,” says Danielle Bozarth, global leader of McKinsey’s Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods Practices . In this episode of McKinsey Podcast , Bozarth joins Senior Partner Clarisse Magnin and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to talk about AI-powered shopping and other trends reshaping consumers’ path to purchase—and what brands need to do differently to keep up with them. The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series . Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

As artificial intelligence reshapes what investors expect from their advisors, asset managers are being pressed to move faster without eroding the trust that took decades to build. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey senior partner and North America chair Eric Kutcher, speaks with Andrew Schlossberg, president and CEO of Invesco, about navigating market volatility, putting AI directly in employees' hands rather than dictating it from the top, and slowing down to speed up. In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership. The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Window or aisle? These days, if you’re at the front of the plane, you don’t have to choose: “Everything is about having direct aisle access from every seat,” says Steve Saxon , coleader of McKinsey’s Travel, Logistics & Infrastructure Practice. And that’s just one of the many ways airlines are reinventing the premium experience for a burgeoning customer segment: the affluent vacationers now occupying seats once dominated by corporate road warriors. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , Saxon talks with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about why premium leisure travel is on the rise, what that means for airline economics, and how it’s prompting carriers to rethink everything from pricing to service to cabin design and product innovation. The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Do you feel stuck in the career you have? Suzy Welch, an NYU professor and author of Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career (HarperCollins Publishers, May 2025), has your back. In today’s episode of The McKinsey Podcast , Welch explains that if your career doesn’t feel quite right, it may be because you’ve lost touch with your aptitudes and values. This episode was previously broadcast on our McKinsey Talks Talent podcast, featuring talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock . The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. Click here to view the full transcript of this episode. Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The next era of value creation may be defined less by digital innovation alone and more by the ability to build, operate, and scale physical assets. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , co-CEO of Hines Laura Hines-Pierce joins McKinsey’s North American Chair Eric Kutcher to discuss a widening gap between digital ambition and physical capacity. From a global housing shortage to an emergency energy and infrastructure supercycle, the conversation explores what it takes to build at scale—and why labor, permitting, and supply chain are now the true bottlenecks. They also reflect on leadership, organizational change, and preparing a 70-year-old firm for a more volatile, fast-changing future. In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast , Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership. The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. To watch the full-length version of this interview, visit The McKinsey Podcast playlist on McKinsey’s YouTube channel. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Could AI transformation be exhausting humans rather than optimizing their performance? As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, organizations face a new challenge: ensuring people have the brain health and skills to cope with the cognitive demands of technology. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey Partners and Kana Enomoto , and McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) Senior Fellow Jacqueline Brassey, speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about why brain capital is becoming a key competitive advantage in the age of AI—and what leaders can do to build healthier, more adaptable, and higher-performing organizations. In the second half of this episode, McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal joins Lucia to answer a few audience questions from a recent McKinsey Live webinar on geopolitics and how it’s reshaping global trade. The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series . Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

As sports become an even bigger engine of economic growth, the defining challenge isn’t identifying tomorrow’s fans; it’s recognizing that many of them are already filling stadiums, attending World Cup watch parties, and participating in digital communities. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey Senior Partner Lucy Pérez joins Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to reflect on McKinsey’s recent research about the growing influence of Latino fans, the brand opportunities for personalized engagement, and the investments that strengthen fandom—from youth sports all the way through lifelong participation. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The first wave of AI adoption has been all about efficiency gains. But what happens when everyone else, using the same tools, is experiencing the same productivity improvements? Where will competitive advantage come from then? McKinsey research suggests that the companies that outperform with AI will be those that rethink customer experiences, redesign how work gets done, and build operating models that continuously adapt to change. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey Senior Partner and McKinsey Global Institute Director Tanguy Catlin explains to Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro why CEOs should shift their focus from AI-driven productivity to AI-powered reinvention. They discuss the rise of agentic AI, how competitive dynamics are changing, and why organizational transformation—not technology—is likely to be the defining challenge of the AI era. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In an era of economic uncertainty and accelerating technological disruption, creating new businesses has become less of a growth option and more of a strategic imperative. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey Senior Partner Jason Bello speaks with Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro about McKinsey’s new research on corporate venture building. They examine why serial builders outperform their peers, how AI is reshaping the economics of innovation, and what leaders can do to turn experimentation into a repeatable capability. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Long before someone takes the corner office, they need to build the skills and rapport that will help them thrive once they move in. That CEO journey is the focus of this episode of The McKinsey Podcast with McKinsey Partner Blair Epstein , Senior Partner Carolyn Dewar , Partner Julia McClatchy , and Senior Partner Vik Malhotra . They share their collective insights with Roberta Fusaro, McKinsey editorial director, about how CEOs should prepare for the role, navigate those critical early days, sustain personal and organizational performance, and continue to evolve their leadership styles. A CEO for All Seasons book: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/ceo-for-all-seasons Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

As AI capabilities accelerate, nearly anyone can create software. The real business constraint is no longer code, but judgment: how quickly an organization can learn, adapt, and redeploy talent at scale. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy joins McKinsey’s North America Chair Eric Kutcher to dig into how AI is industrializing intelligence, supercharging productivity, and forcing leaders to rethink everything from pricing models to workforce strategy. In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast , Eric speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. To watch the full-length version of this interview, visit The McKinsey Podcast playlist on McKinsey’s YouTube channel. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Affordable luxury: It may sound like an oxymoron, but in an uncertain economy, it’s striking a chord with cautious consumers looking for value—and expecting more from the brands they buy. “Brands are actively thinking about the fact that people are shifting their spending,” according to McKinsey Senior Partner Gemma D’Auria . “If they want to stay relevant, they need to meet their customers where they are.” In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , D’Auria and McKinsey Senior Partner Holger Harreis speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about , including what consumers want, where they’re finding it, and how fashion executives can use AI to enhance creativity, competitiveness, and the customer experience overall. Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Tariff tumult. Shifting geopolitical alliances. AI acceleration. Structural shifts are reshaping global trade. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal and McKinsey Partner Jeongmin Seong speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about how to adapt to the current phase of global trade reconfiguration—from where to manufacture to supply chain decisions—and how best to invest. In the second half of this episode, McKinsey Senior Partner Kate Smaje joins Lucia to answer some audience questions from our last McKinsey Live webinar , based on the second edition of the book Rewired , about how to rewire your organization in the age of digital and AI. This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series . See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

McKinsey’s latest research on global banking demonstrates that artificial intelligence isn’t just another efficiency play for financial institutions; it represents a fundamental shift in how these companies manage costs, attract and retain customers, and stay ahead of the competition. In this episode, Ido Segev , McKinsey senior partner and Roberta Fusaro, editorial director talk about the speed with which AI is advancing, what’s holding banks back from scaling it, and the potential advantages for early movers. Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

For more than a century, medicine has largely followed a one-size-fits-all model—but that paradigm is beginning to break. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, joins Eric Kutcher, McKinsey’s North America chair, to explore how mRNA technology is transforming healthcare. From the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines to new approaches to rare genetic diseases and individualized cancer treatments, Bancel explains how treating biology as information could reshape how drugs are discovered, manufactured, and delivered. In this recurring series, Eric speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership. The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. To watch the full-length version of this interview, visit The McKinsey Podcast playlist on McKinsey’s YouTube channel. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

A historic wave of ownership transitions is set to reshape the backbone of the US economy. The fate of jobs, local spending, and wealth creation all hinge on whether enough qualified—and diverse—buyers can step in to continue to pave the way for small business ownership. In this episode, Shelley Stewart III, McKinsey senior partner and Roberta Fusaro, editorial director, talk about the scale and stakes of the "Great Ownership transfer". After, Ken Yearwood, McKinsey partner, joins to talk about the risks of inaction and the practical pathways to making these transitions work. The McKinsey Podcast : https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast Shelley Stewart III: https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/shelley-stewart The Great Ownership Transfer report: https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/the-great-ownership-transfer-a-new-era-of-business-stewardship McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility: https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/overview Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

As generative and agentic AI reshape how work gets done, the real divide isn’t who has the best ideas—it’s who can turn them into real results at speed and scale. In this webinar, McKinsey Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly speaks with Senior Partners Kate Smaje and Robert Levin about the updated Rewired playbook—and why winning with AI now depends less on ambition and more on building the organizational capabilities to deliver. The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro. This conversation has been adapted from our McKinsey Live series. Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Most leaders herald the promise of AI, but many employees see it as a looming threat—a modern echo of Annie Oakley’s classic lines: “Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you.” What does it take, then, to lead constructive partnerships between humans and AI agents at work? In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , McKinsey Senior Partner Alexis Krivkovich and McKinsey Global Institute Partner Anu Madgavkar speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about new research on what AI can and can’t do, where humans will continue to add value, and what needs to happen to help all of us work side-by-side with agents and robots successfully. Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information