HBR IdeaCast Where McKinsey—and Consulting—Go From Here
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Jan 6, 2026 
Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company, shares insights on leading the firm through a transformative era. He discusses how McKinsey balances AI integration with human talent, aiming for deeper client collaboration over traditional advisory models. Sternfels emphasizes the shift toward solving complex problems and the need for new skill sets in consultants. He also addresses recent controversies, the importance of trust, and McKinsey's vision to become a true impact partner in the next decade.
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AI's Value Hinges On Organizational Change
- CEOs see huge AI potential but struggle to convert pilots into enterprise value without organizational change.
- Real gains require rewiring processes and collapsing departmental walls around end-to-end workflows.
Agents And Outcome-Based Work
- McKinsey is rapidly integrating AI agents into its workforce and expects one agent per human soon.
- The firm is shifting from pure advisory fees toward underwriting client outcomes tied to business results.
Move Toward Harder, High-Impact Problems
- As AI commoditizes routine analysis, consultants must move to solving more complex, interdependent problems.
- Clients will pay for work that meaningfully grows market cap or addresses highly complicated scenarios.