Organizations often struggle to adapt to change, whether technological, economic, or geopolitical. Yet change is inevitable, especially as technology evolves. This week, we are joined by retired Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, who, from 2013 to 2017, transformed the agency’s organizational structure to better meet its full potential. John spoke with Megan McConnell, a partner based in our Washington D.C office who assists large, complex institutions in transforming how they run their organizations.



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Leading agile transformation: The new capabilities leaders need to build 21st-century organizations

Organizations often struggle to adapt to change, whether technological, economic, or geopolitical. Yet change is inevitable, especially as technology evolves. This week, we are joined by retired Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, who, from 2013 to 2017, transformed the agency’s organizational structure to better meet its full potential. John spoke with <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/megan-mcconnell">Megan McConnell, </a>a partner based in our Washington D.C office who assists large, complex institutions in transforming how they run their organizations.
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Related Insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights">Insights on Transformation on www.mckinsey.com</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-transformation/posts/?feedView=all">McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/defining-your-true-north-a-road-map-to-successful-transformation">Defining your ‘true north’: A road map to successful transformation</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/how-to-gain-and-sustain-a-competitive-edge-through-transformation">How to gain and sustain a competitive edge through transformation</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/leading-agile-transformation-the-new-capabilities-leaders-need-to-build-21st-century-organizations">Leading agile transformation: The new capabilities leaders need to build 21st-century organizations</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;

227. Retired CIA Director John Brennan: Why modernization is ‘never over’

As millions of baby boomer business owners in the United States approach retirement, the country faces a major transition in business ownership. Over the next decade, millions of small and midsize businesses could be sold, transferred, or closed, with major implications for local economies, jobs, family wealth, and economic mobility.

In this episode, we hear from partner Ken Yearwood and associate partner Nick Noel about the wave of business transfers on the horizon, the scale of the opportunity, and the risks of avoidable closures. They discuss what this transition could mean for buyers, sellers, private capital, employees, and rural communities, and explore how a broader and more inclusive ownership ecosystem could unlock long-term value.

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As millions of baby boomer business owners in the United States approach retirement, the country faces a major transition in business ownership. Over the next decade, millions of small and midsize businesses could be sold, transferred, or closed, with major implications for local economies, jobs, family wealth, and economic mobility.
In this episode, we hear from partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/ken-yearwood">Ken Yearwood</a> and associate partner <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicknoel/">Nick Noel</a> about the wave of business transfers on the horizon, the scale of the opportunity, and the risks of avoidable closures. They discuss what this transition could mean for buyers, sellers, private capital, employees, and rural communities, and explore how a broader and more inclusive ownership ecosystem could unlock long-term value.
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<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/the-great-ownership-transfer-a-new-era-of-business-stewardship">The Great Ownership Transfer: A new era of business stewardship</a>
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304. The coming wave of business transfers 

In this episode, we explore how finance leaders can harness AI to drive performance and create value for the organization. Our guests—Kevin Carmody, Davide Grande, and Andrea Tricoli—share insights from their research, highlighting how AI is reshaping finance functions across strategic planning, cost management, risk mitigation, and investor relations. Join us as we delve into real-world examples of AI in action and consider the evolving role of the CFO as a strategic partner in the C-Suite.   

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In this episode, we explore how finance leaders can harness AI to drive performance and create value for the organization. Our guests&mdash;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kevin-carmody">Kevin Carmody</a>, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/davide-grande">Davide Grande</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreatricoli/">Andrea Tricoli</a>&mdash;share insights from their research, highlighting how AI is reshaping finance functions across strategic planning, cost management, risk mitigation, and investor relations. Join us as we delve into real-world examples of AI in action and consider the evolving role of the CFO as a strategic partner in the C-Suite. &nbsp;&nbsp;
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<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-finance-teams-are-putting-ai-to-work-today?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=CL4C">How finance teams are putting AI to work today</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/gen-ai-a-guide-for-cfos">Gen AI: A guide for CFOs</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/gen-ai-in-corporate-functions-looking-beyond-efficiency-gains">Gen AI in corporate functions: Looking beyond efficiency gains</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/solutions/spend-analytics-software/overview">Spendscape by McKinsey: Next-level spend analytics software powered by AI</a>
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303. How finance leaders are driving value with AI

Private equity firms have long outperformed their peers—not just through financial engineering, but by building better businesses faster. In this episode, senior partner Sacha Ghai and partner Marla Capozzi discuss what leaders across sectors can learn from the highest-performing private equity CEOs. Drawing on their recent Harvard Business Review article, Sacha and Marla unpack the concept of CEO alpha: the value created when CEOs outperform as individual leaders, team builders, and operators. They explain why private equity’s edge has shifted from financial engineering to building stronger, more resilient businesses, and they share six practices that distinguish top-performing PE CEOs.  

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What Every Company Can Learn from Private Equity

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A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership

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Private equity firms have long outperformed their peers&mdash;not just through financial engineering, but by building better businesses faster. In this episode, senior partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/sacha-ghai">Sacha Ghai </a>and partner Marla Capozzi discuss what leaders across sectors can learn from the highest-performing private equity CEOs. Drawing on their recent <a href="https://hbr.org/2025/11/what-every-company-can-learn-from-private-equity">Harvard Business Review article</a>, Sacha and Marla unpack the concept of CEO alpha: the value created when CEOs outperform as individual leaders, team builders, and operators. They explain why private equity&rsquo;s edge has shifted from financial engineering to building stronger, more resilient businesses, and they share six practices that distinguish top-performing PE CEOs. &nbsp;
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<a href="https://hbr.org/2025/11/what-every-company-can-learn-from-private-equity">What Every Company Can Learn from Private Equity</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/ceo-alpha-a-new-approach-to-generating-private-equity-outperformance">CEO alpha: A new approach to generating private equity outperformance</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://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/ceo-for-all-seasons">A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-strategic-ceo-7236955032997216256/">The Strategic CEO</a>

227. Retired CIA Director John Brennan: Why modernization is ‘never over’

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