Credit and financial-services organizations are using AI to reshape their offerings and interactions with consumers. But as Will Lansing, CEO of FICO, explains, mastering the technology is only one part of a broader transformation story for the company and the industry. “Leadership comes from followership,” he says. “It comes from people believing in the mission.” And that level of company-wide conviction is critical if executives want to solve some of AI’s hardest problems: explainability, fairness, and trust. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Lansing speaks with McKinsey Senior Partner and North America Chair Eric Kutcher about what it will take to maintain FICO’s 70-year mission of enabling impartial lending, how the company can address emerging AI regulation, and how it can get the most from its data.

In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership.

The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

Credit and financial-services organizations are using AI to reshape their offerings and interactions with consumers. But as Will Lansing, CEO of FICO, explains, mastering the technology is only one part of a broader transformation story for the company and the industry. &ldquo;Leadership comes from followership,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It comes from people believing in the mission.&rdquo; And that level of company-wide conviction is critical if executives want to solve some of AI&rsquo;s hardest problems: explainability, fairness, and trust. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, Lansing speaks with McKinsey Senior Partner and North America Chair <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/eric-kutcher">Eric Kutcher</a> about what it will take to maintain FICO&rsquo;s 70-year mission of enabling impartial lending, how the company can address emerging AI regulation, and how it can get the most from its data.
In this recurring series on&nbsp;The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership.
The McKinsey Podcast&nbsp;is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

The algorithm isn’t the advantage–the team is

For decades, food and beverage companies could count on population growth and geographic expansion to create results. That engine has sputtered out, and investors have punished the sector for it—the industry shed nearly $1 trillion in enterprise value. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Senior Partners Duncan Miller and Frank Sänger speak with Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro about what’s behind the massive valuation drop, why the industry’s old moat—scale and brand loyalty—no longer holds, and why leaders in food and beverage should view AI not just as a cost-cutting tool but as the engine that funds growth itself.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

 

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

 

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

For decades, food and beverage companies could count on population growth and geographic expansion to create results. That engine has sputtered out, and investors have punished the sector for it&mdash;the industry shed nearly $1 trillion in enterprise value. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, Senior Partners <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/duncan-miller">Duncan Miller</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/frank-sanger">Frank S&auml;nger</a> speak with Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro about what&rsquo;s behind the massive valuation drop, why the industry&rsquo;s old moat&mdash;scale and brand loyalty&mdash;no longer holds, and why leaders in food and beverage should view AI not just as a cost-cutting tool but as the engine that funds growth itself.
The McKinsey Podcast&nbsp;is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
&nbsp;
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
&nbsp;
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

What trends are influencing the food and beverage industry?

What does a better lifeactually look like to Americans? The McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility surveyed 30,000 of them and found that, despite today’s polarized discourse, two-thirds share the same top goal: financial security, regardless of race, income, or geography. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Senior Partner Diana Ellsworth and Partner JP Julien join Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to explore findings from the survey—offering employers, educators, and policymakers a clearer picture of what would move the needle for many Americans.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

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

What does a better life actually look like to Americans? The McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/in-pursuit-of-progress-americans-aspirations-for-economic-mobility">surveyed 30,000 of them</a> and found that, despite today&rsquo;s polarized discourse, two-thirds share the same top goal: financial security, regardless of race, income, or geography. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/diana-ellsworth">Diana Ellsworth</a> and Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/john-paul-julien">JP Julien</a> join Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to explore findings from the survey&mdash;offering employers, educators, and policymakers a clearer picture of what would move the needle for many Americans.
The McKinsey Podcast&nbsp;is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Place, purpose, and the path to economic mobility

Geopolitical surprise has become a permanent cost of doing business—and a one-size-fits-all approach to scenario planning can’t keep pace with it. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Partner and Global Director of Geopolitics Ziad Haider joins Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to unpack five tools for sharpening foresight: horizon scanning, scenario planning, contingency planning, simulations, and tabletop exercises. They discuss why so few companies use these tools at scale, how AI is starting to reshape geopolitical risk assessment, and why human judgment remains essential for seeing around corners.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

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

Geopolitical surprise has become a permanent cost of doing business&mdash;and a one-size-fits-all approach to scenario planning can&rsquo;t keep pace with it. In this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, Partner and Global Director of Geopolitics <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/ziad-haider">Ziad Haider</a> joins Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to unpack five tools for sharpening foresight: horizon scanning, scenario planning, contingency planning, simulations, and tabletop exercises. They discuss why so few companies use these tools at scale, how AI is starting to reshape geopolitical risk assessment, and why human judgment remains essential for seeing around corners.
The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: <a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

The playbook for seeing around geopolitical corners

Nearly half of all paid work hours are tied to physical tasks, from moving and making things to inspecting equipment and transporting goods. Today, much of that work remains beyond the reach of traditional automation. Physical AI could begin to change that, expanding the range of tasks machines can perform reliably, safely, and economically. That means more than robots that can outpace Usain Bolt; it means intelligent, adaptable systems that “sense, decide, and act based on the physical world around them,” according to McKinsey Senior Partner Mark Patel. And that physical world is “full of corner cases.”

On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Patel and McKinsey Partner Ani Kelkar join Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to explain what physical AI looks like, where it could create value, and what leaders should know now to begin taking advantage of its potential for impact.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series.

Nearly half of all paid work hours are tied to physical tasks, from moving and making things to inspecting equipment and transporting goods. Today, much of that work remains beyond the reach of traditional automation. Physical AI could begin to change that, expanding the range of tasks machines can perform reliably, safely, and economically. That means more than robots that can outpace Usain Bolt; it means intelligent, adaptable systems that &ldquo;sense, decide, and act based on the physical world around them,&rdquo; according to McKinsey Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/mark-patel">Mark Patel</a>. And that physical world is &ldquo;full of corner cases.&rdquo;
On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, Patel and McKinsey Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/ani-kelkar">Ani Kelkar</a> join Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to explain what physical AI looks like, where it could create value, and what leaders should know now to begin taking advantage of its potential for impact.
The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
This episode has been adapted from our <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-live/webinars/physical-ai-the-hidden-value-pools-leaders-are-missing">McKinsey Live webinar series</a>.

The hidden value of physical AI

What happens when AI agents can reason through problems well enough to complete real work on their own? This episode of The McKinsey Podcast offers answers to that question and more from OpenAI’s chair Bret Taylor, who is also cofounder of Sierra—which helps some of the world’s biggest companies build sophisticated AI agents, including about 40 percent of the Fortune 50. Taylor speaks with Eric Kutcher, McKinsey senior partner and chair of North America, about where AI is already reshaping customer service, sales, and software engineering; why open-weight models will always have a place despite the frontier labs’ cost advantage; and why he thinks the data center buildout—despite its real financial risk—is a bet the US needs to make. 

In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership.

The McKinsey Podcast is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

 

What happens when AI agents&nbsp;can reason through problems well enough to complete real work on their own?&nbsp;This episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>&nbsp;offers answers to that question and more from OpenAI&rsquo;s chair Bret Taylor, who is also cofounder of Sierra&mdash;which helps some of the world&rsquo;s biggest companies build sophisticated AI agents, including about 40 percent of the Fortune 50.&nbsp;Taylor speaks with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/eric-kutcher">Eric Kutcher</a>, McKinsey senior partner and chair of North America, about where AI is already reshaping customer service, sales, and software engineering; why open-weight models will always have a place despite the frontier labs&rsquo; cost advantage; and why he thinks the data center buildout&mdash;despite its real financial risk&mdash;is a bet the US needs to make.&nbsp;
In this recurring series on The McKinsey Podcast, Kutcher speaks with top CEOs about the practice of leadership.
The McKinsey Podcast&nbsp;is regularly cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
&nbsp;

Democratized superintelligence is coming: The world needs to get ready 

The toughest transformation problems aren’t always strategic or operational. They’re human: the instinct to play it safe, protect what’s ours, trust who we know, and wait for change to pass. Individually, these behaviors can seem perfectly rational. Collectively, they can bring a transformation to a standstill. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partner Kurt Strovink and Partner Mathew Lee join Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to discuss five collective-action problems that inhibit transformation success, and what leaders need to know to spot them early—and solve them. 

 

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:  TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

 

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

The toughest transformation problems aren&rsquo;t always strategic or operational. They&rsquo;re human: the instinct to play it safe, protect what&rsquo;s ours, trust who we know, and wait for change to pass. Individually, these behaviors can seem perfectly rational. Collectively, they can bring a transformation to a standstill. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey Senior Partner<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/kurt-strovink"> Kurt Strovink</a> and Partner<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/mathew-lee"></a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/mathew-lee">Mathew Lee</a>&nbsp;join Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to discuss <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/collective-action-collective-success-a-ceos-role-in-transformations">five collective-action problems</a> that inhibit transformation success, and what leaders need to know to spot them early&mdash;and solve them.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:&nbsp; <a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
&nbsp;
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Why transformations stall—and where only CEOs make the difference

Over the past 100 years, humanity has made stunning advances: longer lives, higher incomes, and billions of people lifted out of poverty. Much of that progress remains uneven and incomplete, however. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, we share an adapted conversation from the McKinsey Global Institute’s (MGI) podcast A Century of Plenty, which draws on insights from the institute’s recent book of the same name. The book’s coauthors, McKinsey’s Chris Bradley, Marc Canal, Nick Leung, and Sven Smit, explore whether a new era of broad-based prosperity will extend into the next century. After, McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro is joined by coauthor Sven Smit, senior partner emeritus, to discuss where the next big ideas will come from and how leaders should think about knowledge and judgment in an AI-driven world. 

For more insights from the book and to hear more from its authors, tune into MGI’s new podcast series A Century of Plenty on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com 

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

Over the past 100 years, humanity has made stunning advances: longer lives, higher incomes, and billions of people lifted out of poverty. Much of that progress remains uneven and incomplete, however. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, we share an adapted conversation from the McKinsey Global Institute&rsquo;s (MGI) podcast A Century of Plenty, which draws on insights from the institute&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/a-century-of-plenty">recent book</a> of the same name. The book&rsquo;s coauthors, McKinsey&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/chris-bradley">Chris Bradley</a>, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/marc-canal">Marc Canal</a>, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/nick-leung">Nick Leung</a>, and Sven Smit, explore whether a new era of broad-based prosperity will extend into the next century.&nbsp;After, McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro is joined by coauthor Sven Smit, senior partner emeritus, to discuss where the next big ideas will come from and how leaders should think about knowledge and judgment in an AI-driven world.&nbsp;
For more insights from the book and to hear more from its authors, tune into MGI&rsquo;s new podcast series A Century of Plenty on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com </a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Is progress behind us, or is ‘plenty’ still possible?

Geopolitical fragmentation, the rise of AI, and growing concern about supply chain resilience are putting US manufacturing back in the spotlight. But strengthening America’s industrial base isn’t simply a matter of bringing factories home. The US imports roughly $3 trillion in manufactured goods each year, and some of its most critical supply chains would require a dramatic expansion of domestic capacity. 

 

On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) Chair and Senior Partner Shubham Singhal and Senior Fellow Rebecca J. Anderson join Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to explore where the United States is most vulnerable, what it could cost to rebuild critical manufacturing capacity, and how AI, investment, and American innovation could change the equation.

 

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

 

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

Geopolitical fragmentation, the rise of AI, and growing concern about supply chain resilience are putting <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/ramping-up-manufacturing-in-america">US manufacturing</a> back in the spotlight. But strengthening America&rsquo;s industrial base isn&rsquo;t simply a matter of bringing factories home. The US imports roughly $3 trillion in manufactured goods each year, and some of its most critical supply chains would require a dramatic expansion of domestic capacity.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) Chair and Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/shubham-singhal">Shubham Singhal</a> and Senior Fellow <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/rebecca-j-anderson">Rebecca J. Anderson</a> join Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to explore where the United States is most vulnerable, what it could cost to rebuild critical manufacturing capacity, and how AI, investment, and American innovation could change the equation.
&nbsp;
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
&nbsp;
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

Made in America, again? Rethinking US manufacturing resilience 

Shoppers are awash in product recommendations. But do they trust them? “We found significant skepticism around algorithm-driven channels like social media, and in particular generative AI, where the trust level is below 40 percent,” says Danielle Bozarth, global leader of McKinsey’s Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods Practices. In this episode of   McKinsey Podcast, Bozarth joins Senior Partner Clarisse Magnin and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to talk about AI-powered shopping and other trends reshaping consumers’ path to purchase—and what brands need to do differently to keep up with them.

 The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.

This episode has been adapted from our McKinsey Live webinar series. 

Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:  TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com

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

Shoppers are awash in product recommendations. But do they trust them? &ldquo;We found significant skepticism around algorithm-driven channels like social media, and in particular generative AI, where the trust level is below 40 percent,&rdquo; says <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/danielle-bozarth">Danielle Bozarth, global leader of McKinsey&rsquo;s Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods Practices</a>. In this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast"></a>&nbsp; McKinsey Podcast, Bozarth joins <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/clarisse-magnin">Senior Partner Clarisse Magnin</a> and Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to talk about AI-powered shopping and other trends reshaping consumers&rsquo; path to purchase&mdash;and what brands need to do differently to keep up with them.
&nbsp;The McKinsey Podcast is cohosted by Lucia Rahilly and Roberta Fusaro.
This episode has been adapted from our <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-live">McKinsey Live webinar series</a>.&nbsp;
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Send them our way at:&nbsp; <a href="mailto:TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com">TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com</a>
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.

 Consumers don’t trust AI advice. They turn to it anyway.

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.

The McKinsey Podcast

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