From gen AI pilots to automated supply chains, technology is reshaping how operations leaders create efficiencies, build resilience, and encourage teamwork. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Daniel Swan speaks with Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro about how COOs can embed technology, particularly AI, into their company’s culture. It requires balancing the urgency of today with the transformation of tomorrow.

Articles/pieces mentioned:

The hard stuff 2025: Taking stock of progress on the physical challenges of the energy transition

The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw

From gen AI pilots to automated supply chains, technology is reshaping how operations leaders create efficiencies, build resilience, and encourage teamwork. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/daniel-swan">McKinsey Senior Partner Daniel Swan</a> speaks with Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro about how <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/productivity-at-the-core-how-coos-deliver-strategy">COOs can embed technology</a>, particularly AI, into their company&rsquo;s culture. It requires balancing the urgency of today with the transformation of tomorrow.
Articles/pieces mentioned:
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/the-hard-stuff-2025-taking-stock-of-progress-on-the-physical-challenges-of-the-energy-transition">The hard stuff 2025: Taking stock of progress on the physical challenges of the energy transition</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai">The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw

The McKinsey Podcast, our new flagship podcast series, takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

The McKinsey Podcast features conversations with experts from global management-consulting firm McKinsey & Company, focusing on the issues that matter most in business and management.

The McKinsey Podcast

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey &amp; Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

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