Inside the Strategy Room

321. M&A integration: PE’s new value creation playbook

Private equity is navigating one of its most challenging value creation environments in years, and winning firms are using M&A integration as a competitive weapon. Brian

320. The digital twin: Reimagining non-financial risk management

The risk function’s fundamental purpose has not changed in light of AI. What has changed is the nature and pace of risks amplified by AI, as well as the tools available t

319. Why strategy needs mobilization, especially in this moment

As strategy rises to the top of executive agendas, many organizations are struggling to translate bold strategic choices into sustained performance. In this episode, the

318. Inside the 2026 CFO Forum: How finance leaders are preparing for what's next (bonus episode)

In this bonus episode, McKinsey CFO practice leaders Kevin Carmody, Matt Maloney, and Christian Grube share their insights from the 2026 CFO Forum in London. Their conv

317. Strategic re-underwriting in private equity

Private equity firms are under increasing pressure to create value in a tougher market, with longer hold times and evolving value creation theses. Leading funds are using

316. Your budget is killing your strategy: 4 imperatives for CFOs

The traditional annual budget process is broken. It is rigid, backward-looking, and not operationally fit to keep up with today's fast-moving markets. Top-performing comp

315. The $106 trillion infrastructure opportunity: Private market outlook

Infrastructure is at a pivotal inflection point: its definition is expanding beyond traditional assets to digital and interconnected systems, demanding a fundamental mind

314. How to maximize competitive advantage

Competitive advantage is becoming much more fluid as market positions shift faster across industries, with advantages eroding and differentiation narrowing. Despite this

313. Driving value with an investor mindset

Long-term value creation is foundational to building strong companies and economies, yet many leaders struggle to ensure that well-conceived, well-executed strategies rec

312. Improving private equity exit prospects

In today’s tougher exit environment, private equity firms are facing longer holding periods, valuation gaps, and increased pressure to return capital. Kai Vollhardt and J

311. Proven growth strategies from market leaders

Discover how market leaders—Walmart, Builders FirstSource, Progressive, and JPMorgan Chase—achieved exceptional growth from 2019 to 2024, outperforming peers by an averag

310. The CEO's role in transformation

Transformations often falter due to internal dynamics that divide organizations, such as misaligned incentives, siloed efforts, and risk aversion. CEOs are uniquely posit

309. Five key moves to create value in spinoffs

More than 55 percent of large spin-offs fail to deliver the expected value three years post-spin; this is true for both the parent and the new company. However, even in t

308. From the C-Suite to the boardroom: Christiana Smith Shi on what it takes

Today’s board members face growing demands on their time. A challenging macro environment and ever-evolving business risks are increasing meeting frequency and requiring

307. Making buy-side carve-outs work for everyone

Buy-side carve-outs can create significant value for acquiring companies, but they can also present complex challenges. In this episode, we’re joined by Kameron Kordestan

306. Transforming value creation in private equity portfolio companies

Outperformance in private equity is no longer defined by leverage or multiple expansion; disciplined value creation will be the decisive factor in future investment succe

305. Prudential’s Charles Lowrey on finishing strong as CEO

For CEOs, the first 100 days often get the most attention. But the final chapter of a CEO’s tenure can be just as consequential. In this episode, senior partner Carolyn D

304. The coming wave of business transfers

As millions of baby boomer business owners in the United States approach retirement, the country faces a major transition in business ownership. Over the next decade, mil

303. How finance leaders are driving value with AI

In this episode, we explore how finance leaders can harness AI to drive performance and create value for the organization. Our guests—Kevin Carmody, Davide Grande, and An

302. What every CEO can learn from private equity

Private equity firms have long outperformed their peers—not just through financial engineering, but by building better businesses faster. In this episode, senior partner