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

We all know the world is moving faster. We also know that 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 sit down with the world’s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allows their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them. 

We all know the world is moving faster. We also know that 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 sit down with the world’s highest-performing CEOs, CFOs, innovators, and McKinsey experts and discuss how they build the courage, clarity, conviction, and cohesion that allows their businesses to win by moving faster than the world around them.

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

This week, we discuss strategies for navigating geopolitical uncertainty with the authors of a recent article on the subject. Michael Birshan is a senior partner and co-leads our Strategy & Corporate Finance practice globally and also serves on the McKinsey Global Institute Council, Ziad Haider is a partner and our global director of geopolitical risk, and Olivia White is a senior partner and director of our business and economics research arm, the McKinsey Global Institute.

Related insights:

Can your company remain global and if so, how?

Black swans, gray rhinos, and silver linings: Anticipating geopolitical risks (and openings)

This week, we discuss strategies for navigating geopolitical uncertainty with the authors of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/can-your-company-remain-global-and-if-so-how">a recent article</a> on the subject. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/michael-birshan">Michael Birshan</a> is a senior partner and co-leads our Strategy &amp; Corporate Finance practice globally and also serves on the McKinsey Global Institute Council, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/ziad-haider">Ziad Haider </a>is a partner and our global director of geopolitical risk, and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/olivia-white">Olivia White</a> is a senior partner and director of our business and economics research arm, the <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/overview">McKinsey Global Institute</a>. 
<hr>
Related insights:
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/can-your-company-remain-global-and-if-so-how">Can your company remain global and if so, how?</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/black-swans-gray-rhinos-and-silver-linings-anticipating-geopolitical-risks-and-openings">Black swans, gray rhinos, and silver linings: Anticipating geopolitical risks (and openings)</a>

224. Strategies to navigate geopolitical uncertainty

Senior partners Alex D’Amico, Michael Birshan, and Andy West join us for a conversation about the latest developments in the field of strategy. They discuss how generative AI will change strategy creation, the importance of developing distinctive insights as part of the strategy process, and how to avoid social dynamics from derailing your organization’s best-laid plans.

Related insights:
Strategic courage in an age of volatility
Tying short-term decisions to long-term strategy
Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick
Eight shifts that will take your strategy into high gear
The social side of strategy
The board’s role in strategy

Senior partners <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/alex-damico">Alex D’Amico</a>, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/michael-birshan">Michael Birshan</a>, and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/andy-west">Andy West</a> join us for a conversation about the latest developments in the field of strategy. They discuss how generative AI will change strategy creation, the importance of developing distinctive insights as part of the strategy process, and how to avoid social dynamics from derailing your organization’s best-laid plans.
<hr>
Related insights:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategic-courage-in-an-age-of-volatility">Strategic courage in an age of volatility</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/tying-short-term-decisions-to-long-term-strategy">Tying short-term decisions to long-term strategy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategy-beyond-the-hockey-stick">Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/eight-shifts-that-will-take-your-strategy-into-high-gear">Eight shifts that will take your strategy into high gear</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srFWdifYv3s">The social side of strategy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://hbr.org/2018/12/the-boards-role-in-strategy">The board’s role in strategy</a></li>
</ul>

223. What’s new in strategy: A view from the frontlines

This week, Sandy Boss, Senior Managing Director at global investment firm BlackRock and Chair of BlackRock UK, joins us on the podcast. In a conversation with Michael Birshan, a senior partner and the global coleader of our Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice, Sandy shares her insights on geopolitics and the energy transition as well as her ‘five Cs’ for CFOs looking to take an investor’s perspective. We recorded their conversation at a recent gathering for CFOs in London. 

Related Insights 
What your most important investors need to know
Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, 7th edition

This week, Sandy Boss, Senior Managing Director at global investment firm BlackRock and Chair of BlackRock UK, joins us on the podcast. In a conversation with <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/michael-birshan">Michael Birshan</a>, a senior partner and the global coleader of our Strategy &amp; Corporate Finance Practice, Sandy shares her insights on geopolitics and the energy transition as well as her ‘five Cs’ for CFOs looking to take an investor’s perspective. We recorded their conversation at a recent gathering for CFOs in London. 
<hr>
Related Insights  <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/what-your-most-important-investors-need-to-know">What your most important investors need to know</a> <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/valuation-measuring-and-managing-the-value-of-companies">Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, 7th edition</a>

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

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