Inside the Strategy Room

As artificial intelligence transforms how companies compete, many boards are grappling with how to provide effective oversight in this new era. Senior partners Aamer Baig, Celia Huber, and senior advisor Rebecca Schechter join host Sean Brown Inside the Strategy Room to discuss their recent article on how directors can rethink their guidance on AI adoption and readiness, while navigating risks that cut across strategy, talent, and governance.
The AI reckoning: How boards can evolve
Rewired: How leading companies win with technology and AI
McKinsey Insights on Strategy & Corporate Finance
McKinsey Strategy & Corporate Finance on LinkedIn
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Companies that execute transformations with rigor are much more likely to achieve their goals, generate higher total shareholder returns, and enjoy better organizational health. In this episode, Preeya Mody and Dominic Skerritt join host Sean Brown to share insights from their latest research on the role of rigor in driving and sustaining successful transformations. They discuss what defines rigor in a transformation, explore the three elements that rigorous transformations consistently demonstrate, and share practical advice for sustaining momentum without burning out teams.
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Seven principles for achieving transformational growth
Beyond transformation: What we now know about driving bottom-line performance
The powerful role financial incentives can play in a transformation
McKinsey Insights on Transformation
McKinsey Transformation on LinkedIn
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While artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from experimentation to execution, many companies still struggle to capture real value from the technology. In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Jean-Paul Carvalho and Robin Nuttall to explore how CEOs can more effectively scale AI and to discuss the technology's implications for the future of work and organizations.

Jean-Paul is Professor of Political Economy at the University of Oxford’s Department of Economics and Director of Oxford Elevate. Robin Nuttall is an expert partner in our London office and a leader of our regulatory strategy and environmental, social, and governance work. Robin is also a Business Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Economics Department.

Related insightsHow AI is transforming strategy developmentThe state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformationBuilding next-horizon AI experiencesArtificial intelligence in strategy
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What does today’s wave of AI and economic change really mean for markets, jobs, and leadership?
In this episode, David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, joins our North America Chair and senior partner, Eric Kutcher, to explain why he sees the current moment as more evolutionary than unprecedented. Solomon discusses what’s driving market resilience in 2026, including fiscal policy, AI infrastructure investment, and shifting trade dynamics. He also shares how Goldman is using AI to boost productivity, reengineer core processes, and invest for long-term growth—as well as candid lessons on leadership, resilience, and decision-making at the top. This episode was recorded in December 2025.
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The strategic realities of a new era
‘Saying “I don’t know” is one of the hardest things a leader can do’: A conversation with Delta CEO Ed Bastian
Retired US Navy Admiral Eric Olson: Leading effectively in uncertain times
Building geopolitical resilience: A conversation with Michèle Flournoy
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After a long period of uncertainty, the fog has lifted, and while private equity rebounded in 2025, the clearer visibility has also revealed a more complex and demanding landscape.
In this episode, the authors of our 2026 Global Private Markets Report unpack the structural shifts reshaping the industry—from elevated multiples and longer hold periods to the growing importance of scale, specialization, and alternative capital. They also explore how artificial intelligence is emerging as a core driver of competitive advantage, with early adopters embedding AI into pricing, productivity, and portfolio strategy to create structural alpha.
As private equity continues to mature, dispersion between leaders and laggards is set to widen. The question for dealmakers, operators, fundraisers, and LPs alike: who is equipped to best navigate this new terrain?

Related insights
Global Private Markets Report 2026 Private equity: Clearer view, tougher terrain
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