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

McKinsey innovation leader Erik Roth speaks with Shiprocket cofounder and CEO Saahil Goel about how he built his e-commerce logistics company into a highly successful platform that is helping launch new entrepreneurs all over India.

Related Insights 

Follow The Committed Innovator podcast: https://omny.fm/shows/the-committed-innovator

Read the transcript: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/helping-indias-e-commerce-leapfrog-into-the-future

<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/innovation-and-growth">McKinsey innovation</a> leader <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/erik-roth">Erik Roth</a> speaks with Shiprocket cofounder and CEO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/saahilgoel?originalSubdomain=in">Saahil Goel</a> about how he built his e-commerce logistics company into a highly successful platform that is helping launch new entrepreneurs all over India.
<hr>
Related Insights 
Follow The Committed Innovator podcast: <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/the-committed-innovator">https://omny.fm/shows/the-committed-innovator</a> 
Read the transcript: <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/helping-indias-e-commerce-leapfrog-into-the-future">https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/helping-indias-e-commerce-leapfrog-into-the-future</a>

226. Helping India’s e-commerce leapfrog into the future

This week, we feature a conversation between Alex Gorsky, former chair and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, and Andy West, senior partner and global coleader of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice. 

Alex discusses his approach to developing strategy, the challenges and rewards of developing a successful innovation and M&A pipeline, and his approach to decision-making and building a star team. 

Related Insights

The Strategic CEO newsletter

CEO Excellence

Gen AI: Opportunities in M&A

Top M&A trends in 2024: Blueprint for success in the next wave of deals

This week, we feature a conversation between Alex Gorsky, former chair and CEO of Johnson &amp; Johnson, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/west-andy/">Andy West</a>, senior partner and global coleader of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice. Alex discusses his approach to developing strategy, the challenges and rewards of developing a successful innovation and M&amp;A pipeline, and his approach to decision-making and building a star team. 
Related Insights
<a href="https://bit.ly/3CpJp4u">The Strategic CEO newsletter</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/ceo-excellence">CEO Excellence</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights/gen-ai-opportunities-in-m-and-a">Gen AI: Opportunities in M&amp;A</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights/top-m-and-a-trends-in-2024-blueprint-for-success-in-the-next-wave-of-deals">Top M&amp;A trends in 2024: Blueprint for success in the next wave of deals</a>

225. Alex Gorsky, former chair and CEO of Johnson & Johnson

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>

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

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