At the end of 2023, the final podcast of McKinsey Talks Operations concluded that there was no normal for operations leaders. Looking back on the 12 months since then, it seems the sentiment holds true—both everything and nothing has changed. In this episode, hosts Christian Johnson and Daphne Luchtenberg reflect on four recurring themes from their discussions with McKinsey experts and industry guests: building resilient operations ecosystems, decarbonizing operations, winning with talent, and tech-enabling operations with digital and generative AI.

At the end of 2023, the final podcast of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/mckinsey-talks-operations">McKinsey Talks Operations</a> concluded that there was no normal for operations leaders. Looking back on the 12 months since then, it seems the sentiment holds true&mdash;both everything and nothing has changed. In this episode, hosts Christian Johnson and Daphne Luchtenberg reflect on four recurring themes from their discussions with McKinsey experts and industry guests: building resilient operations ecosystems, decarbonizing operations, winning with talent, and tech-enabling operations with digital and generative AI.

The next normal demands resilience, flexibility, and agility.

Join us on www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com where the world’s C-Suite leaders and McKinsey experts cut through the noise to uncover how to create a new operational reality. Each episode considers the challenges companies and economies are facing, and the opportunities leaders can seize for competitive advantage. We’ll look at how to connect boardroom strategy to the frontlines, ways to increase performance, where and when to infuse operations with technology, and why empowering the workforce with skills and capabilities is key to success.

McKinsey Talks Operations has much more content to offer on the Operations topics that connect strategy with lasting success. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore events and insights from McKinsey’s Operations Practice, and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations

The next normal demands resilience, flexibility, and agility.
Join us on <a href="http://www.mckinseytalksoperations.com">www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com</a> where the world’s C-Suite leaders and McKinsey experts cut through the noise to uncover how to create a new operational reality. Each episode considers the challenges companies and economies are facing, and the opportunities leaders can seize for competitive advantage. We’ll look at how to connect boardroom strategy to the frontlines, ways to increase performance, where and when to infuse operations with technology, and why empowering the workforce with skills and capabilities is key to success.
McKinsey Talks Operations has much more content to offer on the Operations topics that connect strategy with lasting success. Visit <a href="http://www.mckinseytalksoperations.com">www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com</a> to explore events and insights from McKinsey’s Operations Practice, and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1674896999531000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Sp0r3t_R1DWVeTui08BhV">www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations</a>

The next normal demands resilience, flexibility, and agility. McKinsey Talks Operations, brings together the world’s C-Suite leaders and McKinsey experts cut through the noise to uncover how to create a new operational reality.

McKinsey Talks Operations

The next normal demands resilience, flexibility, and agility. Join us on McKinsey Talks Operations, where the world’s C-Suite leaders and McKinsey experts cut through the noise to uncover how to create a new operational reality. Each episode considers the challenges companies and economies are facing, and the opportunities leaders can seize for competitive advantage. We’ll look at how to connect boardroom strategy to the frontlines, ways to increase performance, where and when to infuse operations with technology, and why empowering the workforce with skills and capabilities is key to success.

A year in review from McKinsey Talks Operations: Beyond normal 

Supply chain leaders have invested heavily in technology over the last few decades and were among the earliest adopters of AI. Yet despite 90% of companies reporting AI use, only 7% have successfully scaled it. For many, supply chain execution remains manual, fragmented, and slow. What separates the companies that have scaled AI from the 90% still stuck in pilot purgatory? And why aren't more organizations seeing meaningful returns? 

In this episode, host Christian Johnson speaks with Rahul Shahani, a Partner in McKinsey's Operations Practice and AI and technology enablement leader for manufacturing and supply chain, and Kapil Dev Bansal, an Associate Partner and global leader for agentic AI in manufacturing and supply chain. Together, they explore why domain-level workflow orchestration outperforms traditional use-case thinking, and how companies can generate durable value instead of launching yet another stalled pilot. 

McKinsey Talks Operations offers more insights at the intersection of strategy and execution. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore upcoming events and thought leadership from McKinsey's Operations Practice and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations.

Supply chain leaders have invested heavily in technology over the last few decades and were among the earliest adopters of AI. Yet despite 90% of companies reporting AI use, only 7% have successfully scaled it. For many, supply chain execution remains manual, fragmented, and slow. What separates the companies that have scaled AI from the 90% still stuck in pilot purgatory? And why aren't more organizations seeing meaningful returns?&nbsp;
In this episode, host Christian Johnson speaks with Rahul Shahani, a Partner in McKinsey's Operations Practice and AI and technology enablement leader for manufacturing and supply chain, and Kapil Dev Bansal, an Associate Partner and global leader for agentic AI in manufacturing and supply chain. Together, they explore why domain-level workflow orchestration outperforms traditional use-case thinking, and how companies can generate durable value instead of launching yet another stalled pilot.&nbsp;
McKinsey Talks Operations offers more insights at the intersection of strategy and execution. Visit <a href="https://mckinseytalksoperations.com/">www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com</a> to explore upcoming events and thought leadership from McKinsey's Operations Practice and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations/">www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations</a>.

Powering supply chain with agentic AI

Europe’s productivity challenge is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Strained supply chains, rising costs, and intensifying global competition are putting mounting pressure on operations leaders to act decisively. Without bold action, Europe risks falling behind for decades to come. So what will it take for European leaders to reignite the continent’s productivity growth?

In this episode, host Christian Johnson speaks with Dr. Ruth Heuss, senior partner and co-leader of McKinsey’s global operations practice and Dr. Jan Mischke, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute. Together, they discuss the technologies reshaping operations today—and where Europe still has an opportunity to lead.

McKinsey Talks Operations offers more insights at the intersection of strategy and execution. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore upcoming events and thought leadership from McKinsey’s Operations Practice and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations.  

Europe&rsquo;s productivity challenge is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Strained supply chains, rising costs, and intensifying global competition are putting mounting pressure on operations leaders to act decisively. Without bold action, Europe risks falling behind for decades to come. So what will it take for European leaders to reignite the continent&rsquo;s productivity growth?
In this episode, host Christian Johnson speaks with Dr. Ruth Heuss, senior partner and co-leader of McKinsey&rsquo;s global operations practice and Dr. Jan Mischke, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute. Together, they discuss the technologies reshaping operations today&mdash;and where Europe still has an opportunity to lead.
McKinsey Talks Operations offers more insights at the intersection of strategy and execution. Visit <a href="https://mckinseytalksoperations.com/">www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com</a> to explore upcoming events and thought leadership from McKinsey&rsquo;s Operations Practice and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations">www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations</a>. &nbsp;

Rewiring Europe: Turning pressure into performance

The pace of innovation is reshaping industries at an unprecedented speed, but technology alone is not a source of advantage. To compete in a rapidly evolving global landscape, organizations must move beyond isolated tech deployments and embrace end-to-end process transformation. The real question for 2026 is: how can leaders rewire their operations to capture the full value of what’s possible?

In this episode, host Daphne Luchtenberg speaks with McKinsey senior partners Dan Swan and Ruth Heuss, Global Co-Conveners of McKinsey’s Operations Practice, about what it takes to turn operational excellence into sustained competitive advantage, and the critical questions operations leaders should be asking now.

McKinsey Talks Operations offers more insights at the intersection of strategy and execution. Visit www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com to explore upcoming events and thought leadership from McKinsey’s Operations Practice and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations. 

The pace of innovation is reshaping industries at an unprecedented speed, but technology alone is not a source of advantage. To compete in a rapidly evolving global landscape, organizations must move beyond isolated tech deployments and embrace end-to-end process transformation. The real question for 2026 is: how can leaders rewire their operations to capture the full value of what&rsquo;s possible?
In this episode, host Daphne Luchtenberg speaks with McKinsey senior partners Dan Swan and Ruth Heuss, Global Co-Conveners of McKinsey&rsquo;s Operations Practice, about what it takes to turn operational excellence into sustained competitive advantage, and the critical questions operations leaders should be asking now.
McKinsey Talks Operations offers more insights at the intersection of strategy and execution. Visit <a href="https://mckinseytalksoperations.com/">www.McKinseyTalksOperations.com</a> to explore upcoming events and thought leadership from McKinsey&rsquo;s Operations Practice and join the McKinsey Talks Operations community. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations/">www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-operations</a>.&nbsp;

A year in review from McKinsey Talks Operations: Beyond normal

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