Corporate boards face increasing complexity as factors such as technological and geopolitical change challenge the organizations they serve. At the same time, boards are expected to do more, including to serve as catalysts of value creation. In this episode we talk with three experts on board effectiveness about their research: Senior partners Frithjof Lund and Celia Huber lead McKinsey’s Board Services Practice, together with senior expert Nina Spielmann. Their recently published analysis, “Better together: Three ways to boost board–CEO collaboration,” looks at the ways boards can do more to help advance the corporations they steward.

Related insights

The rising complexity of board directorship

Ready to board: Ascending new heights through CEO-board communication

Corporate boards face increasing complexity as factors such as technological and geopolitical change challenge the organizations they serve. At the same time, boards are expected to do more, including to serve as catalysts of value creation. In this episode we talk with three experts on board effectiveness about their research: Senior partners Frithjof Lund and Celia Huber lead McKinsey&rsquo;s Board Services Practice, together with senior expert Nina Spielmann. Their recently published analysis, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/better-together-three-ways-to-boost-board-ceo-collaboration">Better together: Three ways to boost board&ndash;CEO collaboration</a>,&rdquo; looks at the ways boards can do more to help advance the corporations they steward.
<hr>
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-rising-complexity-of-board-directorship">The rising complexity of board directorship</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/locations/mckinsey-client-capabilities-network/our-work/strategic-and-change-communications/the-communications-exchange/ready-to-board-ascending-new-heights-through-ceo-board-communication">Ready to board: Ascending new heights through CEO-board communication</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.

236. How corporate boards are responding to their changing role

McKinsey innovation leader Erik Roth speaks with Jelena Joffe Weil, the founder and worldwide leader of the Venture Innovation program at Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud computing arm, about how AWS works to close the gap between innovation and go-to-market for start-ups and large enterprises. The global hyperscaler is known for helping businesses grow and scale rapidly, but it also helps start-ups and established enterprises find each other to engage in open, or collaborative, innovation.

Related Insights

The Committed Innovator podcast

Filling the gap between innovation and go to market

Driving innovation with generative AI

Taking fear out of innovation

How to take the measure of innovation

Fielding high-performing innovation teams

 

McKinsey innovation leader <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/erik-roth">Erik Roth</a> speaks with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jelena-joffe-weil-8456242a/">Jelena Joffe Weil</a>, the founder and worldwide leader of the Venture Innovation program at <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/">Amazon Web Services</a>, Amazon&rsquo;s cloud computing arm, about how AWS works to close the gap between innovation and go-to-market for start-ups and large enterprises. The global hyperscaler is known for helping businesses grow and scale rapidly, but it also helps start-ups and established enterprises find each other to engage in open, or collaborative, innovation.
Related Insights
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-committed-innovator/id1595192279">The Committed Innovator podcast</a>
<a href="markethttps://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/filling-the-gap-between-innovation-and-go-to-market">Filling the gap between innovation and go to market</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/driving-innovation-with-generative-ai">Driving innovation with generative AI</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/taking-fear-out-of-innovation">Taking fear out of innovation</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-to-take-the-measure-of-innovation">How to take the measure of innovation</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/fielding-high-performing-innovation-teams">Fielding high-performing innovation teams</a>
&nbsp;

244. Filling the gap between innovation and go-to-market, with AWS’s Jelena Joffe 

Business transformation has evolved markedly in recent years as technology and the pace of change reshape the landscape organizations face. Once a byword for cost-cutting, transformation now more readily incorporates bold, strategic goals. Today, we discuss the core elements of a successful transformation and how to confront some of the common challenges.

We are joined by three deeply experienced leaders from our Transformation Practice to discuss how transformation has evolved over the years. Kevin Carmody is a senior partner based in our Chicago office and works with management teams, boards of directors, and other stakeholders on complex performance transformations, strategy, change management programs, and corporate finance. Louisa Greco is a partner in our Toronto office and focuses on driving broad-scale transformations, commercial improvement, growth and innovation, and organizational effectiveness. Rob Montgomery is a partner in our San Francisco office and has designed and led comprehensive transformations across industries. All our guests have served in senior executive and chief transformation officer roles.

Related Insights

Defining your ‘true north’: A road map to successful transformation

Ready, set, go, and keep going: Why speed is key to a successful transformation

Breaking the mold: Five behaviors of leading growth transformers

Meet the newest member of the consumer C-suite: The chief transformation officer

Driving long-term business transformation

 

McKinsey Insights on Transformation

McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn

Business transformation has evolved markedly in recent years as technology and the pace of change reshape the landscape organizations face. Once a byword for cost-cutting, transformation now more readily incorporates bold, strategic goals. Today, we discuss the core elements of a successful transformation and how to confront some of the common challenges.
We are joined by three deeply experienced leaders from our <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights">Transformation Practice</a> to discuss how transformation has evolved over the years.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kevin-carmody">Kevin Carmody</a> is a senior partner based in our Chicago office and works with management teams, boards of directors, and other stakeholders on complex performance transformations, strategy, change management programs, and corporate finance. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/louisa-greco">Louisa Greco</a> is a partner in our Toronto office and focuses on driving broad-scale transformations, commercial improvement, growth and innovation, and organizational effectiveness. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/montgomeryrob/">Rob Montgomery</a> is a partner in our San Francisco office and has designed and led comprehensive transformations across industries. All our guests have served in senior executive and chief transformation officer roles.
Related Insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/defining-your-true-north-a-road-map-to-successful-transformation">Defining your &lsquo;true north&rsquo;: A road map to successful transformation</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/ready-set-go-and-keep-going-why-speed-is-key-for-a-successful-transformation">Ready, set, go, and keep going: Why speed is key to a successful transformation</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/breaking-the-mold-five-behaviors-of-leading-growth-transformers">Breaking the mold: Five behaviors of leading growth transformers</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/meet-the-newest-member-of-the-consumer-csuite-the-chief-transformation-officer">Meet the newest member of the consumer C-suite: The chief transformation officer</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/driving-long-term-business-transformation">Driving long-term business transformation</a>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights">McKinsey Insights on Transformation</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-transformation/">McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn</a>

243. A road map to successful transformation

This week we speak with the authors of our latest Annual M&A Report about trends in the deal landscape and what we might expect from 2025. Will the much-anticipated increase in transactions finally materialize? Or will players continue to hold onto their dry powder, waiting for the ongoing uncertainty that we’ve seen since the pandemic to settle down? McKinsey senior partners Mieke Van Oostende and Jake Henry co-lead our M&A practice, and in this episode, they share findings and observations from their latest report. 

Related insights:

M&A Annual Report: Is the wave finally arriving?

Gen AI: Opportunities in M&A

How one approach to M&A is more likely to create value than all others

How lots of small M&A deals add up to big value

The seven habits of programmatic acquirers

How AI is transforming strategy development

McKinsey Insights on M&A

McKinsey Strategy & Corporate Finance on LinkedIn

This week we speak with the authors of our latest <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights/top-m-and-a-trends">Annual M&amp;A Report</a> about trends in the deal landscape and what we might expect from 2025. Will the much-anticipated increase in transactions finally materialize? Or will players continue to hold onto their dry powder, waiting for the ongoing uncertainty that we&rsquo;ve seen since the pandemic to settle down? McKinsey senior partners <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/mieke-van-oostende">Mieke Van Oostende</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/jake-henry">Jake Henry</a> co-lead our M&amp;A practice, and in this episode, they share findings and observations from their latest report.&nbsp;
Related insights:
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights/top-m-and-a-trends">M&amp;A Annual Report: Is the wave finally arriving?</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/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-one-approach-to-m-and-a-is-more-likely-to-create-value-than-all-others">How one approach to M&amp;A is more likely to create value than all others</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/repeat-performance-the-continuing-case-for-programmatic-m-and-a">How lots of small M&amp;A deals add up to big value</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-seven-habits-of-programmatic-acquirers">The seven habits of programmatic acquirers</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-ai-is-transforming-strategy-development">How AI is transforming strategy development</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights">McKinsey Insights on M&amp;A</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-corporate-finance/posts/?feedView=all">McKinsey Strategy &amp; Corporate Finance on LinkedIn</a>

236. How corporate boards are responding to their changing role

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