Great CEOs know that the transition to their successor will define their legacy and cement the strength of what they’ve built. We speak with three McKinsey experts about how the best CEOs prepare for the final phase of their tenure. We're joined by Carolyn Dewar, a senior partner in our Bay Area office, Blair Epstein, a partner also based in San Fransisco, and Kurt Strovink, a senior partner in our New York office. 

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Sending it forward: Successfully transitioning out of the CEO role

CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders From the Rest 

The CEO Journey

Join our LinkedIn community of more than 91,000 members and follow us on X at @McKStrategy. 

Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.com.

Great CEOs know that the transition to their successor will define their legacy and cement the strength of what they’ve built. We speak with three McKinsey experts about how the best CEOs prepare for the final phase of their tenure. We're joined by <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/carolyn-dewar">Carolyn Dewar</a>, a senior partner in our Bay Area office, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/blair-epstein">Blair Epstein,</a> a partner also based in San Fransisco, and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kurt-strovink">Kurt Strovink</a>, a senior partner in our New York office. 
<hr>
Related Insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/sending-it-forward-successfully-transitioning-out-of-the-ceo-role">Sending it forward: Successfully transitioning out of the CEO role</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/ceo-excellence">CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders From the Rest </a> 
<a href="https://pages.mckinsey.com/CEO-Excellence-Collection.html">The CEO Journey</a>
Join our <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&amp;-corporate-finance/?viewAsMember=true">LinkedIn community</a> of more than 91,000 members and follow us on X at <a href="https://twitter.com/McKStrategy">@McKStrategy</a>. 
Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/itsr">episode transcripts on McKinsey.com.</a>

We talk with McKinsey partners and corporate executives on the challenges they face creating lasting strategies in a fast-changing world. We also examine the different ways these executives approach these challenges and the new and innovative ways they think of creating a vision for their enterprises.

What does it take to survive in a world of constant change? More than ever, enterprises need to create strategies that can meet current needs but also adapt to future demand. A regular series of interviews with McKinsey partners and corporate executives.

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 courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allow their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them. 

The world is moving faster, and as upheaval becomes the norm, vast business opportunities will be within the grasp of the extraordinary few. &nbsp;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&rsquo;s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allow their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them.&nbsp;

184. How to manage a successful CEO transition

The risk function’s fundamental purpose has not changed in light of AI. What has changed is the nature and pace of risks amplified by AI, as well as the tools available to manage them. Anke Raufuss, Björn Nilsson, and Laura Webanck join us to discuss the role of the digital twin and how it is changing the future of risk management.

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Evolving model risk management in the age of AI

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Global risk productivity survey: Four themes shaping risk management

The future of risk: How global trends are reshaping risk management

From risk to resilience: New approaches to navigating disruption in Asia

Risk and Resilience on McKinsey.com

McKinsey Risk & Resilience on LinkedIn



 

The risk function&rsquo;s fundamental purpose has not changed in light of AI. What has changed is the nature and pace of risks amplified by AI, as well as the tools available to manage them. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/anke-raufuss">Anke Raufuss</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bj%C3%B6rn-nilsson-71a6065/" aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="&laquo;r5&raquo;">Bj&ouml;rn Nilsson</a>, and <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Flaura-webanck-6b70ba6%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7C7d13f1efa4a340e807ec08defecf8c25%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639228364551836264%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=pLpiW9OkH5pFm1tC8VrnXh1pTdrRCOiBcOkq59ypuD4%3D&amp;reserved=0">Laura Webanck</a>&nbsp;join us to discuss the role of the digital twin and how it is changing the future of risk management.
&nbsp;Related Insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/evolving-model-risk-management-in-the-age-of-ai">Evolving model risk management in the age of AI</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/how-companies-can-strengthen-their-geopolitical-risk-readiness">How companies can strengthen their geopolitical risk readiness</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/global-risk-productivity-survey-four-themes-shaping-risk-management">Global risk productivity survey: Four themes shaping risk management</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/the-future-of-risk-how-global-trends-are-reshaping-risk-management">The future of risk: How global trends are reshaping risk management</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/from-risk-to-resilience-new-approaches-to-navigating-disruption-in-asia">From risk to resilience: New approaches to navigating disruption in Asia</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/how-we-help-clients">Risk and Resilience on McKinsey.com</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-risk-resilience/">McKinsey Risk &amp; Resilience on LinkedIn</a> 
&nbsp;

320. The digital twin:  Reimagining non-financial risk management 

As strategy rises to the top of executive agendas, many organizations are struggling to translate bold strategic choices into sustained performance. In this episode, the global coleaders of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice, Sébastien Lacroix and Andy West, along with Whitney Zimmerman, a distinguished expert in strategy, discuss why mobilization has become the critical differentiator between strategy success and failure, and how leaders can build the capabilities needed to turn strategy into action in an era of intensified competition, ever-accelerating change, and uncertainty.

Related insights

Strategy and Value: The Four Foundations That Drive Long-Term Performance (our new book, due out in November)

How to maximize competitive advantage

How to ensure your company acts on your strategy 

How strategy champions win

Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick

Fundamentals of strategy and value creation

Have you tested your strategy lately?

As strategy rises to the top of executive agendas, many organizations are struggling to translate bold strategic choices into sustained performance. In this episode, the global coleaders of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/sebastien-lacroix?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">S&eacute;bastien Lacroix</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/andy-west?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Andy West</a>, along with <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/whitney-zimmerman?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Whitney Zimmerman</a>, a distinguished expert in strategy, discuss why mobilization has become the critical differentiator between strategy success and failure, and how leaders can build the capabilities needed to turn strategy into action in an era of intensified competition, ever-accelerating change, and uncertainty.
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/strategy-and-value">Strategy and Value: The Four Foundations That Drive Long-Term Performance </a>(our new book, due out in November)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmeGg9ruEhk">How to maximize competitive advantage</a>
<a href="https://hbr.org/2026/07/how-to-ensure-your-company-acts-on-your-new-strategy">How to ensure your company acts on your strategy </a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-strategy-champions-win">How strategy champions win</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategy-beyond-the-hockey-stick">Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/mckinsey-on-finance/mckinsey-on-finance-number-80/fundamentals-of-strategy-and-value-creation">Fundamentals of strategy and value creation</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/have-you-tested-your-strategy-lately">Have you tested your strategy lately?</a>

319. Why strategy needs mobilization, especially in this moment 

In this bonus episode, McKinsey CFO practice leaders Kevin Carmody, Matt Maloney, and Christian Grube share their insights from the 2026 CFO Forum in London.

Their conversation explores how the CFO role is evolving from financial steward to strategic value creator; why leading finance organizations are moving beyond incremental budgeting; how AI can provide the catalyst to fundamentally rewire finance operating models rather than simply automate existing processes; and why talent and capability building will determine which organizations capture the greatest value.

They also discuss how CFOs can reclaim the strategic narrative, strengthen capital allocation, and create the headspace to focus on the bold moves that drive long-term growth.

 

Related insights 

Why accelerated resource allocation matters in the age of AI

CFOs have been concerned about geopolitical impacts for months

The CFO as growth leader: A conversation with Levi’s Harmit Singh

In this bonus episode, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/how-we-help-clients/cfo-and-finance-excellence">McKinsey CFO practice</a> leaders <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kevin-carmody">Kevin Carmody</a>, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/matthew-maloney">Matt Maloney</a>, and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/christian-grube">Christian Grube</a> share their insights from the 2026 CFO Forum in London.
Their conversation explores how the CFO role is evolving from financial steward to strategic value creator; why leading finance organizations are moving beyond incremental budgeting; how AI can provide the catalyst to fundamentally rewire finance operating models rather than simply automate existing processes; and why talent and capability building will determine which organizations capture the greatest value.
They also discuss how CFOs can reclaim the strategic narrative, strengthen capital allocation, and create the headspace to focus on the bold moves that drive long-term growth.
&nbsp;
Related insights 
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/why-accelerated-resource-allocation-matters-in-the-age-of-ai">Why accelerated resource allocation matters in the age of AI</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/cfos-have-been-concerned-about-geopolitical-impacts-for-months">CFOs have been concerned about geopolitical impacts for months</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-cfo-as-growth-leader-a-conversation-with-levis-harmit-singh">The CFO as growth leader: A conversation with Levi&rsquo;s Harmit Singh</a>

184. How to manage a successful CEO transition

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