Dana Maor

M&A activity is down, as is private equity investment, and companies are facing a range of new geopolitical tensions. Still, there is a path to growth through M&A for those companies that maintain an active acquisition strategy, understand their capabilities, and avoid certain assets, says McKinsey Senior Partner Jake Henry. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, he and McKinsey Senior Partner Mieke Van Oostende join McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to discuss findings from McKinsey’s 2025 M&A report. They also discuss the importance of culture in M&A integrations.

In our second segment, McKinsey Senior Partner Dana Maor shares how CEOs can and should stay connected to their teams with Managing Editor of Podcasts, Laurel Moglen. (Starts at 15:58)

Articles mentioned: 

The cost of compute: A $7 trillion race to scale data centers

In a moment of tariffs, can the world find balance and trust to thrive?

Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw

M&amp;A activity is down, as is private equity investment, and companies are facing a range of new geopolitical tensions. Still, there is a path to growth through M&amp;A for those companies that maintain an active acquisition strategy, understand their capabilities, and avoid certain assets, says McKinsey Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/jake-henry">Jake Henry</a>. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, he and McKinsey Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/mieke-van-oostende">Mieke Van Oostende</a> join McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to discuss findings from <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/m-and-a/our-insights/top-m-and-a-trends">McKinsey&rsquo;s 2025 M&amp;A report</a>. They also discuss the importance of culture in M&amp;A integrations.
In our second segment, McKinsey Senior Partner <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/dana-maor">Dana Maor</a> shares how CEOs can and should stay connected to their teams with Managing Editor of Podcasts, Laurel Moglen. (Starts at 15:58)
Articles mentioned:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-cost-of-compute-a-7-trillion-dollar-race-to-scale-data-centers">The cost of compute: A $7 trillion race to scale data centers</a>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/in-a-moment-of-tariffs-can-the-world-find-balance-and-trust-to-thrive">In a moment of tariffs, can the world find balance and trust to thrive?</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.