This week, we’re joined by Scott Herren, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cisco Systems, and Eric Kutcher, Senior Partner and Chair of McKinsey & Company, North America. They discuss the rationale for Cisco's recent acquisition, the role of CFOs in driving change within a company, the impact of AI on finance, and the current geopolitical and economic climate. 

Related insights:

The Seasons of the CFO

Palo Alto Networks CFO on AI, cybersecurity, and the finance leader’s mandate

Data, analytics, and decisions: An interview with Teradata’s CFO

This week, we’re joined by <a href="https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/executives/r-scott-herren.html#:~:text=R.,billion%20and%20approximately%2090%2C000%20employees.">Scott Herren</a>, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cisco Systems, and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/eric-kutcher">Eric Kutcher</a>, Senior Partner and Chair of McKinsey &amp; Company, North America. They discuss the rationale for Cisco's recent acquisition, the role of CFOs in driving change within a company, the impact of AI on finance, and the current geopolitical and economic climate. Related insights:
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-four-seasons-of-the-cfo">The Seasons of the CFO</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/palo-alto-networks-cfo-on-ai-cybersecurity-and-the-finance-leaders-mandate">Palo Alto Networks CFO on AI, cybersecurity, and the finance leader’s mandate</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/data-analytics-and-decisions-an-interview-with-teradatas-cfo">Data, analytics, and decisions: An interview with Teradata’s CFO</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;

218. Cisco Systems CFO on M&A, geopolitics, and the emerging AI opportunity

Infrastructure is at a pivotal inflection point: its definition is expanding beyond traditional assets to digital and interconnected systems, demanding a fundamental mindset shift by governments, investors, and operators to plan, fund, and maintain integrated infrastructure that supports future growth and resilience. Alastair Green and Adrian Kwok discuss the latest findings from our 2026 Global Private Markets Report, take stock of the sector's latest trends, and reveal how private capital is responding to an evolving funding landscape

Related insights

2026 Global Private Markets Report

The Infrastructure Moment

www.mckinsey.com/pc

www.mckinsey.com/scf

Infrastructure is at a pivotal inflection point: its definition is expanding beyond traditional assets to digital and interconnected systems, demanding a fundamental mindset shift by governments, investors, and operators to plan, fund, and maintain integrated infrastructure that supports future growth and resilience.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/alastair-green?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Alastair Green</a> and <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fadriankwok%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7C423f1fb464334d67802c08dee75f7745%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639202594456961198%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=CWflHXjvMXFTo00GNV5A6bqdox3jRo61j9nxKi0vWlQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">Adrian Kwok</a> discuss the latest findings from our <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/global-private-markets-report?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">2026 Global Private Markets Report, </a>take stock of the sector's latest trends,&nbsp;and reveal how private capital is responding to an evolving funding landscape
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/global-private-markets-report">2026 Global Private Markets Report</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/infrastructure/our-insights/the-infrastructure-moment">The Infrastructure Moment</a>
<a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/pc">www.mckinsey.com/pc</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights">www.mckinsey.com/scf</a>

315. The $106 trillion infrastructure opportunity: Private market outlook 

Competitive advantage is becoming much more fluid as market positions shift faster across industries, with advantages eroding and differentiation narrowing. Despite this increased volatility, companies often fail to actively monitor shifts in their competitive edge. Join Matt Banholzer and Laura LaBerge as they discuss their latest research on the erosion of competitive advantage and share what companies can do to maximize their edge over peers.

Related Insights  

Strategy’s biggest blind spot: Erosion of competitive advantage

How top economic performers lean into their competitive advantage to guide their strategy

Why accelerated resource allocation matters in the age of AI

Competitive advantage is becoming much more fluid as market positions shift faster across industries, with advantages eroding and differentiation narrowing. Despite this increased volatility, companies often fail to actively monitor shifts in their competitive edge. Join <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/matt-banholzer?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Matt Banholzer</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/laura-laberge?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Laura LaBerge</a>&nbsp;as they discuss their latest <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategys-biggest-blind-spot-erosion-of-competitive-advantage?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">research</a>&nbsp;on the erosion of competitive advantage and share what companies can do to maximize their edge over peers.
Related Insights&nbsp; 
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategys-biggest-blind-spot-erosion-of-competitive-advantage?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Strategy&rsquo;s biggest blind spot: Erosion of competitive advantage</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-top-economic-performers-lean-into-their-competitive-advantage-to-guide-their-strategy">How top economic performers lean into their competitive advantage to guide their strategy</a>
<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>

314. How to maximize competitive advantage

Long-term value creation is foundational to building strong companies and economies, yet many leaders struggle to ensure that well-conceived, well-executed strategies receive full recognition from investors. Senior Partner Ryan Davies and Associate Partner Jacob Marcus join us to discuss how to anticipate investor reactions, assess opportunities to outperform expectations, and embed an investor mindset into decision-making to build greater resilience.

Related Insights 

Global Private Markets Report 2026

Private equity 2026 outlook: Clearer view, tougher terrain

Unlocking full potential: Five practices reshaping PE value creation

Transforming value creation in private equity portfolio companies

The coming wave of business transfers

What every CEO can learn from private equity

The CEO’s Guide to the Investment Galaxy

Long-term value creation is foundational to building strong companies and economies, yet many leaders struggle to ensure that well-conceived, well-executed strategies receive full recognition from investors. Senior Partner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/ryan-davies">Ryan Davies</a>&nbsp;and Associate Partner Jacob Marcus join us to discuss how to anticipate investor reactions, assess opportunities to outperform expectations, and embed an investor mindset into decision-making to build greater resilience.
Related Insights 
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/global-private-markets-report">Global Private Markets Report 2026</a>
<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/inside-the-strategy-room/293-private-equity-2026-outlook-clearer-view-tougher-terrain">Private equity 2026 outlook: Clearer view, tougher terrain</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/unlocking-full-potential-five-practices-reshaping-pe-value-creation">Unlocking full potential: Five practices reshaping PE value creation</a>
<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/inside-the-strategy-room/306-transforming-value-creation-in-private-equity-portfolio-companies">Transforming value creation in private equity portfolio companies</a>
<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/inside-the-strategy-room/304-the-coming-wave-of-business-transfers">The coming wave of business transfers</a>
<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/inside-the-strategy-room/302-what-every-ceo-can-learn-from-private-equity">What every CEO can learn from private equity</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-ceos-can-play-the-long-game-in-a-shortsighted-world">The CEO&rsquo;s Guide to the Investment Galaxy</a>

218. Cisco Systems CFO on M&A, geopolitics, and the emerging AI opportunity

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