Companies are getting practical about how to create value from gen AI – while 5G, satellites, and innovations in phone design also take center stage.

This is a special, bonus episode of The McKinsey Podcast. McKinsey Partner Ferry Grijpink joined McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to share some immediate takeaways from the annual Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Companies are getting practical about&nbsp;how to create value from gen AI&nbsp;&ndash; while 5G, satellites, and&nbsp;innovations in phone design&nbsp;also take center stage.
This is a special, bonus episode&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast" data-outlook-id="241ab9b7-08a5-44a3-a284-6ca1ce6f6200">The McKinsey Podcast</a>. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/ferry-grijpink">McKinsey Partner Ferry Grijpink</a> joined McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to share some immediate takeaways from the annual Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.
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.

McKinsey’s highlights from Mobile World Congress

This year on The McKinsey Podcast, we’ve dived into an array of topics on leadership, organizational change, and technological innovation, talking to McKinsey’s most seasoned experts about how to lead during times of geopolitical upheaval and economic uncertainty, as well as how to harness and then radiate the advances made possible by AI. We didn’t just go for the broad strokes. We heard from McKinsey partners about the questions they’re getting every day from their clients across industries. How can leaders move forward competitively in a business climate so full of flux and opportunity? Our guests this year had plenty of ideas.

This year on <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, we&rsquo;ve dived into an array of topics on leadership, organizational change, and technological innovation, talking to McKinsey&rsquo;s most seasoned experts about how to lead during times of geopolitical upheaval and economic uncertainty, as well as how to harness and then radiate the advances made possible by AI. We didn&rsquo;t just go for the broad strokes. We heard from McKinsey partners about the questions they&rsquo;re getting every day from their clients across industries. How can leaders move forward competitively in a business climate so full of flux and opportunity? Our guests this year had plenty of ideas.

Rewinding 2025: A year of The McKinsey Podcast insights—in under 10 minutes

Yes, dreaming up your next getaway can be exhilarating. But booking it? Often less so. For many customers, the thrill of travel risks getting lost in logistics, says McKinsey Senior Partner Jules Seeley. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, he joins Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to discuss new research on the rise of AI in the travel industry, including the advent of AI agents that could design end-to-end itineraries, rebook disrupted flights, and tailor recommendations to each traveler’s tastes—changing the calculus for customers and travel employees alike.

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Yes, dreaming up your next getaway can be exhilarating. But booking it? Often less so. For many customers, the thrill of travel risks getting lost in logistics, says McKinsey Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/jules-seeley">Jules Seeley</a>. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, he joins Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to discuss <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel/our-insights/remapping-travel-with-agentic-ai">new research</a> on the rise of AI in the travel industry, including the advent of AI agents that could design end-to-end itineraries, rebook disrupted flights, and tailor recommendations to each traveler&rsquo;s tastes&mdash;changing the calculus for customers and travel employees alike.
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

How agentic AI could transform travel

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

McKinsey’s highlights from Mobile World Congress

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