The traditional annual budget process is broken. It is rigid, backward-looking, and not operationally fit to keep up with today's fast-moving markets. Top-performing companies are outpacing peers by budgeting differently. Matthew Maloney, Karen McLoughlin, and Michele Tam join us to discuss their recent article on how top-performing companies are transforming the budget from a control mechanism to a dynamic road map for driving growth. They share how leading CFOs are more closely linking the budget to strategic priorities, and how harnessing AI enables a data-driven, forward-looking approach.

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Your budget is killing your strategy—here are four ways to fix it

The CFO as growth leader: A conversation with Levi’s Harmit Singh

CFOs have been concerned about geopolitical impacts for months

The traditional annual budget process is broken. It is rigid, backward-looking, and not operationally fit to keep up with today's fast-moving markets. Top-performing companies are outpacing peers by budgeting differently. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/matthew-maloney?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Matthew Maloney</a>, <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkaren-mcloughlin%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7Cb61f93b7bf14475997c208dee9b0efd7%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639205143362945458%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=3rAqb2n6hN%2B0VlcY1nixe1BEI2YdUL0dTrXv7A%2FBRZk%3D&amp;reserved=0">Karen McLoughlin,</a> and <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmichele-tam%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7Cb61f93b7bf14475997c208dee9b0efd7%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639205143362981329%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=9F03sdx2huHDWE5dgw5M%2BISMUEesCQsBZNFNlxOlMe8%3D&amp;reserved=0">Michele Tam</a> join us to discuss their recent <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/your-budget-is-killing-your-strategy-here-are-four-ways-to-fix-it?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">article</a> on how top-performing companies are transforming the budget from a control mechanism to a dynamic road map for driving growth. They share how leading CFOs are more closely linking the budget to strategic priorities, and how harnessing AI enables a data-driven, forward-looking approach.
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/your-budget-is-killing-your-strategy-here-are-four-ways-to-fix-it?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Your budget is killing your strategy&mdash;here are four ways to fix it</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-cfo-as-growth-leader-a-conversation-with-levis-harmit-singh">The CFO as growth leader: A conversation with Levi&rsquo;s Harmit Singh</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/cfos-have-been-concerned-about-geopolitical-impacts-for-months">CFOs have been concerned about geopolitical impacts for months</a>

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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;