In this bonus episode of Inside the Strategy Room, we feature an interview with OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar from the At the Edge podcast. Sarah joined our senior partner, Lareina Yee, to discuss how to lead through this era of intense technological change and what it means for the future of the finance function and business leadership.  

Our At the Edge podcast features conversations with creative leaders and pioneers who demystify cutting-edge technologies and share strategies for companies to capture big opportunities. 
 

 

Related insights  

At the Edge podcast 

Keeping artificial intelligence real 

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

Managing the risks around generative AI 

In this bonus episode of Inside the Strategy Room, we feature an interview with OpenAI CFO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-friar/">Sarah Friar</a> from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/what-an-ai-powered-finance-function-of-the-future-looks-like">At the Edge</a> podcast. Sarah joined our senior partner, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/lareina-yee">Lareina Yee</a>, to discuss how to lead through this era of intense technological change and what it means for the future of the finance function and business leadership.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Our <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/what-an-ai-powered-finance-function-of-the-future-looks-like">At the Edge</a> podcast features conversations with creative leaders and pioneers who demystify cutting-edge technologies and share strategies for companies to capture big opportunities.&nbsp; &nbsp;
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Related insights&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/what-an-ai-powered-finance-function-of-the-future-looks-like">At the Edge podcast</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/keeping-artificial-intelligence-real">Keeping artificial intelligence real</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/inside-the-strategy-room/218-cisco-systems-cfo-on-m-a-geopolitics-and-the-e">Cisco Systems CFO on M&amp;A, geopolitics, and the emerging AI opportunity</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/inside-the-strategy-room/203-managing-the-risks-around-generative-ai">Managing the risks around generative AI</a>&nbsp;

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;

What an AI-powered finance function of the future looks like 

As AI models become increasingly sophisticated, organizations and their leaders need to maintain awareness of the opportunities and challenges each new model can present. Specifically, the newest Frontier Lab LLMs are able to chain together and exploit vulnerabilities in even the most sophisticated organizations. Charlie Lewis and Marie-Claude Nadeau join us to discuss the threats posed by these models and how organizations can stay ahead of rapidly emerging cybersecurity challenges while also realizing their benefits.


Related insights

McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2026

Cybersecurity and trustworthy systems

The speed problem: How frontier AI exposes weakness in enterprise cybersecurity

Quantum is almost here: Are you and your systems ready?

Deploying agentic AI with safety and security: A playbook for technology leaders

As AI models become increasingly sophisticated, organizations and their leaders need to maintain awareness of the opportunities and challenges each new model can present. Specifically, the newest Frontier Lab LLMs are able to chain together and exploit vulnerabilities in even the most sophisticated organizations. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/charlie-lewis">Charlie Lewis</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/marie-claude-nadeau">Marie-Claude Nadeau</a> join us to discuss the threats posed by these models and how organizations can stay ahead of rapidly emerging cybersecurity challenges while also realizing their benefits.
 Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/tech-and-ai/our-insights/the-top-trends-in-tech">McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2026</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/tech-and-ai/our-insights/the-top-trends-in-tech#cybersecurity-and-trustworthy-systems">Cybersecurity and trustworthy systems</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/the-speed-problem-how-frontier-ai-exposes-weakness-in-enterprise-cybersecurity">The speed problem: How frontier AI exposes weakness in enterprise cybersecurity</a>
<a href="https://prod.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/quantum-is-almost-here-are-you-and-your-systems-ready">Quantum is almost here: Are you and your systems ready?</a>
<a href="https://prod.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/deploying-agentic-ai-with-safety-and-security-a-playbook-for-technology-leaders">Deploying agentic AI with safety and security: A playbook for technology leaders</a>

325. Addressing AI Frontier Lab model risks and opportunities

Episode description

Executives have more data, more frameworks, and more advice than ever, and yet their confidence in their strategies keeps falling. Andy West, Tim Koller, and Whitney Zimmerman, authors of our forthcoming book Strategy and Value: The Four Foundations That Drive Long-Term Performance, join us to discuss how winning companies leverage the four foundations that drive long-term performance and value creation

Related insights

Strategy and Value: The Four Foundations That Drive Long-Term Performance

Strategy’s biggest blind spot: Erosion of competitive advantage

How to maximize competitive advantage (podcast)

Ten Timeless Tests: Have you tested your strategy lately? 

How top economic performers lean into their competitive advantage to guide their strategy

Valuation: Measuring and managing the value of companies

 

Episode description
Executives have more data, more frameworks, and more advice than ever, and yet their confidence in their strategies keeps falling. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/andy-west?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=%7b%7blead.SFDC%20Id:default=CL4C%7d%7d">Andy West</a>, <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Ftimkoller%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CClare_Kitada-SYDN%40external.mckinsey.com%7C7875f620e57d42762bfd08df1dbaa813%7Ccc8936bc93824fff87cb6f55999549e7%7C0%7C0%7C639262359712776817%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=KYa1NIG0Oree44OSE0ImMepkyDz3gAdYOwRTmqBa%2FRs%3D&amp;reserved=0">Tim Koller</a>, and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/whitney-zimmerman">Whitney Zimmerman</a>, authors of our forthcoming book <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/strategy-and-value">Strategy and Value: The Four Foundations That Drive Long-Term Performance</a>, join us to discuss how winning companies leverage the four foundations that drive long-term performance and value creation
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/strategy-and-value">Strategy and Value: The Four Foundations That Drive Long-Term Performance</a>
<a href="https://prod.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategys-biggest-blind-spot-erosion-of-competitive-advantage">Strategy&rsquo;s biggest blind spot: Erosion of competitive advantage</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmeGg9ruEhk&amp;list=PLFUo1mP7MU2M&amp;index=7">How to maximize competitive advantage</a> (podcast)
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/have-you-tested-your-strategy-lately">Ten Timeless Tests: Have you tested your strategy lately?&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://prod.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-top-economic-performers-lean-into-their-competitive-advantage-to-guide-their-strategy">How top economic performers lean into their competitive advantage to guide their strategy</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</a>
&nbsp;

324. How strategy creates value: The four foundations that drive long-term performance 

McKinsey research finds that companies executing transformations with rigor are much more likely to meet overall organizational transformation goals. Chris Hagedorn, Preeya Mody, and Michel Morenville join us to discuss what rigor really means in the context of transformation and how to embed it throughout the process, from setting the aspiration to mobilizing to delivering impact.

Related insights

Rigor: What it takes to turn ambition into impact

The power of rigor in transformation (podcast episode)

Wave by McKinsey

McKinsey Insights on Transformation

How to gain and sustain a competitive edge through transformation

Going all in: Why employee ‘will’ can make or break transformations

Seven principles for achieving transformational growth

Beyond transformation: What we now know about driving bottom-line performance

The powerful role financial incentives can play in a transformation

McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn

McKinsey research finds that companies executing transformations with rigor are much more likely to meet overall organizational&nbsp;transformation goals. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/chris-hagedorn?cid=cl4c-cml&amp;sid=CL4C">Chris Hagedorn</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/preeyamody">Preeya Mody</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelmorenville/">Michel Morenville</a> join us to discuss what rigor really means in the context of transformation and how to embed it throughout the process, from setting the aspiration to mobilizing&nbsp;to delivering impact.
Related insights
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/rigor-what-it-takes-to-turn-ambition-into-impact">Rigor: What it takes to turn ambition into impact</a>
<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/inside-the-strategy-room/296-the-power-of-rigor-in-transformation">The power of rigor in transformation</a> (podcast episode)
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/how-we-help-clients/wave/overview">Wave by McKinsey</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights">McKinsey Insights on 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/transformation/our-insights/going-all-in-why-employee-will-can-make-or-break-transformations">Going all in: Why employee &lsquo;will&rsquo; can make or break transformations</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/seven-principles-for-achieving-transformational-growth">Seven principles for achieving transformational growth</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/beyond-transformation-what-we-now-know-about-driving-bottom-line-performance">Beyond transformation: What we now know about driving bottom-line performance</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/the-powerful-role-financial-incentives-can-play-in-a-transformation">The powerful role financial incentives can play in a transformation</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-transformation/">McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn</a>

What an AI-powered finance function of the future looks like

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