Inside the Strategy Room
Inside the Strategy Room
The world is moving faster, and as upheaval becomes the norm, vast business opportunities will be within the grasp of the extraordinary few. But it takes bold people and courageous approaches to seize those opportunities and create value. In each episode of our weekly podcast, we interview the world’s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the …Social links:
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280. Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta on culture, strategy, and reinvention
Chris Nassetta has served as President and CEO of Hilton since 2007, leading the organization through some extraordinary challenges. Chris’s focus on a sustainable growth model and a brand-led, network-driven strategy has enabled Hilton to cultivate 25 brands and serve more than 250 million travele…
47:06
279. From the NFL to the C-Suite: Jason Wright on what it takes to transform organizations and build world-class teams
What do winning teams in elite sports teach us about driving transformation in business? This week, Kevin Carmody, a senior partner and global coleader of our CFO and finance excellence practice, speaks with former McKinsey partner Jason Wright, who helped lead a transformation as-president of the …
34:36
278. Frontier Communications CEO Nick Jeffery on purpose, strategy, and keeping it simple
Nick Jeffery, President and CEO of Frontier Communications since 2021, has over three decades of strategic and operational leadership in the U.S. and global telecommunications industry. As a seasoned transformation leader, he has guided Frontier from bankruptcy to a successful turnaround in under f…
33:02
277. The new boardroom dynamic: More conversations, transparency, and trust
In this episode of Inside the Strategy Room, we discuss how the board’s relationship with management is evolving in an era of heightened uncertainty and rapid change. We are joined by board directors Susan Chapman-Hughes and Lan Kang, as well as McKinsey’s Board Services leader Frithjof Lund, and e…
38:44
276. From strategy to performance: Building a new operating model for a new world
To successfully execute a strategy, organizations must make deliberate choices about their operating model. In this episode, Julie Goran and Dickie Steele, both partners based in New York, discuss the key elements that comprise an operating model and how leaders can design and implement one that dr…
34:29
275. M&A update: Dealmaking is higher, despite volatility
After several years of slowed activity, mergers and acquisitions picked up in the first half of 2025, as disciplined dealmakers reentered the market despite continued uncertainty. In this episode, three McKinsey M&A experts share their recent analysis of global dealmaking, explore the continued out…
46:43
274. How Nestlé’s CFO sharpens focus across a global portfolio
The CFO’s challenge has long been one of translating data into a story that the CEO and their management team can use to set strategy and make other decisions. As generative AI advances, the way that CFOs fulfil this role is changing, as guest and Nestlé CFO Anna Manz describes in this episode. Mic…
36:52
273. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian: Lessons from the captain’s seat
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines since 2016, speaks with our North America Chair and senior partner Eric Kutcher. After 25 years at Delta, including nearly a decade as CEO, Ed reflects on his journey leading the world’s largest airline by revenue—and America’s most recognized carrier, with more t…
33:22
272. Clear signals in a world of noise: The strategic realities of a new era
Uncertainty often dominates the headlines, but it is possible to cut through the static to find clear signals in the global trends and demographic shifts shaping the next era of global competition. In this episode, senior partners Chris Bradley and Andy West share their latest research into the str…
33:11
271. Mastering the cycles of CEO leadership: Starting strong, and staying ahead
In this second episode of our two-part series on navigating the four seasons of successful CEO leadership, Carolyn Dewar and Kurt Strovink, two of the authors of the upcoming book A CEO For All Seasons, share insights drawn from top-performing CEOs on how to navigate the middle two stages of CEO le…
44:17