Forward Thinking

Forward Thinking on the tricky business of removing carbon from our world with Nan Ransohoff Dec 05, 2023

Co-host Michael Chui talks with Nan Ransohoff. Ransohoff is the head of climate at Stripe and leads Frontier, an advanced market commitment for carbon removal. She answers questions including:

Is carbon removal a get out of jail free card for emitters?
What are the most promising carbon removal technologies?
Is it possible to scale up effective technologies quick enough?
How much do costs need to come down before scaling is possible?
What is an advanced market commitment?

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Forward Thinking on how geeks are changing the world with Andrew McAfee Nov 14, 2023

Co-host Michael Chui talks with Andy McAfee. McAfee is a principal research scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management, co-founder and co-director of MIT’s initiative on the digital economy, and the inaugural visiting fellow at the Technology in Society organization at Google.

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Forward Thinking on why we ignore inflation—from ancient times to the present—at our peril with Stephen King Nov 01, 2023

Co-host Janet Bush talks with Stephen King. King is a senior economic advisor to HSBC, having served as the bank’s group chief economist from 1998 to 2015. His latest book, very prescient in timing, is We Need to Talk About Inflation: 14 Urgent Lessons from the Last 2,000 Years. In this podcast, he covers topics including the following:

The root causes of the current resurgence of inflation
How long higher inflation may persist
What history tells us about the management of inflation
The main economic problem that lies ahead
Why inflation matters

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Forward Thinking on the existential issues facing the middle classes in every country with Homi Kharas Oct 11, 2023

Co-host Janet Bush talks with Homi Kharas. Kharas is a senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution and also cofounder of World Data Lab. He studies policies and trends influencing developing countries, the emergence of the world's middle class, and global governance. He's collaborated with the McKinsey Global Institute on research into consumers in emerging markets and economic empowerment, and his latest book is The Rise of the Global Middle Class: How the Search for the Good Life Can Change The World.

In this podcast, he covers topics including the following:

How the character of the world’s middle classes is changing
How the middle classes shape our world
What becoming middle class means for a household
The role of the middle class in climate change
How AI may affect the middle class

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Forward Thinking on funding a clean world with Ann Mettler Sep 05, 2023

Co-host Janet Bush talks with Ann Mettler. Mettler is Vice President, Europe, at Breakthrough Energy, working on cleantech innovation in pursuit of a net-zero-emissions future. Before her current role, she worked for many years in European public policy. She was head of the European Political Strategy Center, the in-house think tank of the European Commission, from 2014 to 2019. In this podcast, she covers topics including the following:

Investing for climate impact
The challenges in Europe’s clean energy technological ecosystem
Useful innovation beyond new products
The new priority of energy security accelerating the net-zero transition

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Forward Thinking on the recipe for Asia’s success story with Justin Yifu Lin Aug 15, 2023

Co-host Janet Bush talks with Justin Yifu Lin. Lin is dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics, dean of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, and professor and honorary dean of the National School of Development at Peking University. He served as chief economist at the World Bank from 2008 to 2012, and he actually took up his World Bank position after serving for 15 years as professor and founding director of the China Center for Economic Research at Peking University. In this podcast, he covers topics including the following:

What is new structural economics?
How can emerging economies catch up?
Is globalization going into reverse?
Will the economies of China and Asia maintain momentum?

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Forward Thinking on how to live with our longer lives with Andrew J. Scott Jul 26, 2023

Co-host Janet Bush talks with Andrew J. Scott. Scott is professor of economics at London Business School; his work focuses on the economics of longevity. He's co-founder of the Longevity Forum and a member of the World Economic Forum's Council on Healthy Aging and Longevity, topics that are very much the focus of the McKinsey Health Institute. His book The 100-Year Life has sold more than a million copies in 15 languages. In this podcast, he covers topics including the following:

What benefits could greater longevity offer to economies?
Redefining retirement
What could be done to help people live healthier for longer

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Forward Thinking on avoiding another false dawn for Africa and finally seizing the continent’s potential with Carlos Lopes Jul 12, 2023

Cohost Janet Bush talks with Carlos Lopes. He is a professor in the Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town. He’s also an affiliate professor at Sciences Po, Paris, an associate fellow in the Africa Program at Chatham House, and a member of the African Union reform team. Lopes was the policy director for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa. He serves as an advisor on MGI’s research on Africa, including our latest report, which discusses the continent’s human capital and natural resources and how they can help to accelerate productivity and reimagine Africa’s economic growth. His views are his own. In this podcast, he covers topics including the following:

The factors constraining Africa’s potential
The promise of AI for Africa
The threat and opportunity of climate change for Africa

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Forward Thinking on bringing the joy to economics with Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers Jun 28, 2023

Cohost Michael Chui talks with Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, both professors of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan. They cover topics including the following:

Subjective well-being
How the labor market has evolved since the pandemic
A decline in inequality
The potential impact of AI
Why write a new economics text book?

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Forward Thinking on the brave new world of generative AI with Ethan Mollick May 31, 2023

Co-host Michael Chui talks with business professor Ethan Mollick. He is an associate professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mollick covers topics including the following:

What is generative AI?
How substantial are the performance improvements workers can gain from using generative AI
How to use human management skills to get better results from generative AI
What generative AI means for the future of work and trust
What he learned when he made the use of generative AI mandatory in his classes

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Forward Thinking on the rollercoaster of central banking with Hans-Helmut Kotz May 17, 2023

Co-host Michael Chui talks with economist Hans-Helmut Kotz who is a visiting professor of economics at Harvard University, a senior policy fellow at the Leibniz Institute for financial research at Goethe University, Frankfurt, and on the economics faculty of Freiburg University. Kotz covers topics including the following:

Parallels between the 2007–09 global financial crisis and today’s financial turbulence.
The balance that banking regulators need to strike to protect the economy but encourage innovation.
Being prepared by taking eclectic perspectives.

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Forward Thinking on people on the move and the technological progress and productivity they bring with Dany Bahar Apr 19, 2023

Co-host Janet Bush talks with economist Dany Bahar. He is an associate professor of practice of international and public affairs at Brown University’s Watson Institute and a senior fellow of the Growth Lab at the Harvard Center for International Development. He’s also a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Center for Global Development. Two themes stand out in his work: the diffusion of technology and knowledge, and migration. In this podcast, Bahar covers topics including the following:

Why some countries are rich and some are poor
The role of people on the move in spreading knowledge and raising productivity
The opportunity of Ukraine’s refugee diaspora
How companies can reap rewards by integrating migrants

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Forward Thinking on ‘megathreats,’ ‘polycrises,’ and ‘doom loops’ with Nouriel Roubini Mar 22, 2023

Co-host Michael Chui talks with Nouriel Roubini. Roubini is professor emeritus of economics at the Stern School of Business at New York University, and CEO of Roubini Macro Associates, a global macroeconomics consultancy. He covers topics including the following:

The “mother of all” debt crises and what to do about it
Likely future trends in the global balance sheet—the world’s economic health and wealth
The trajectory of globalization
Which “megathreat” worries him most

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Forward Thinking on working at the interface of the environment and business with Justin Adams Mar 01, 2023

Co-host Michael Chui talks with Justin Adams. Adams is the head of partnerships at Just Climate, a climate-led investment business. he answers questions, including:

How does nature or the ecosystem provide services to the economy?
How much needs to be invested in nature?
What role can capitalism play in addressing issues around sustainability?
What kind of innovations have real potential to mitigate carbon emissions?

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Forward Thinking on what deep history might tell us about today’s turbulent times with Alan Taylor Feb 15, 2023

In this podcast, economist Alan Taylor covers how history can provide a lens into trends in globalization and wealth and the long-term impact of pandemics.

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Forward Thinking on how to get remote working right with Nicholas Bloom Feb 01, 2023

In this episode, co-host Michael Chui talks with Nicholas Bloom. Bloom is the William Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He covers topics including the following:

The history of remote work
How remote work can enhance productivity
What practices make hybrid work most effective
How the views of employers and employees compare on working remotely

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Forward Thinking on the complicated and contentious state of global trade with Chad P. Bown Jan 19, 2023

Janet Bush talks with Chad P. Bown. Bown is Reginald Jones Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. They cover topics including:

How contentious current trading relationships are in the context of history
Is the world deglobalizing or not?
The economic and human cost of decoupling

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Forward Thinking on the meeting point of science and humanity with Jayshree Seth Nov 30, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Michael Chui talks with Jayshree Seth, a corporate scientist and the chief science advocate at the 3M company. She covers topics including:

How the human context can be brought into the practice of science and engineering

Expanding talent pipelines into STEM fields

The role of leadership in technical fields

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Forward Thinking on the fragility of the world’s food systems and how to fix them with Jessica Fanzo Nov 16, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, Janet Bush talks with Jessica Fanzo. Fanzo is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Global Food Policy and Ethics at the Berman Institute of Bioethics, the Bloomberg
School of Public Health, and the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. From 2017 to 2019, Fanzo served as the co-chair of the Global Nutrition Report and the UN High Level Panel of Experts
on Food Security and Nutrition. She was the first laureate of the Carasso Foundation’s Premio Daniel Carasso prize in 2012 for her research on sustainable
food and diets for long-term human health.

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Forward Thinking on talent, state capacity, and being hopeful with Tyler Cowen Sep 28, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, Michael Chui talks to Tyler Cowen, Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University, who serves as chairman and general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. With colleague Alex Tabarrok, Cowen is coauthor of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution and cofounder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University.

This conversation was recorded in September 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit:
https://mck.co/TylerCowen

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Forward Thinking on progress in science funding, immigration, and biosecurity with Alec Stapp Aug 10, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Michael Chui talks with Alec Stapp, co-CEO of the Institute for Progress, a Washington, DC, think tank he co-founded in January 2022. Progress is a policy choice, its founders say, and they have chosen to focus initially on three topics—meta-science, high-skill immigration, and biosecurity. Why those three? Their view is that each one is important, neglected by other researchers, and potentially tractable politically.

This conversation was recorded in July 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit:
https://mck.co/AlecStapp

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Forward Thinking on the sustainability revolution in textiles and the fashion industry with Edwin Keh Jul 27, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush talks to Edwin Keh, the CEO of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel. It was set up in 2006, with the aim of becoming a center of excellence in research and development in the fashion and textiles industry. The institute has won awards for garment recycling and for its work on a yarn that captures carbon dioxide from the air. Keh is also on the faculty at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He has long experience in the retail business, working for Walmart and Donna Karan, among others.

This conversation was recorded in June 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit:
https://mck.co/EdwinKeh

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Forward Thinking on people, places, and the revenge of places that don’t matter with Andrés Rodríguez-Pose Jul 13, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush talks to Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Princesa de Asturias Chair and a professor of economic geography at the London School of Economics. Between 2015 and 2017, he was president of the Regional Science Association International. He won the European Regional Science Association Prize in regional science in 2018. He covers topics including:
- What factors make a particular place or individuals in a particular place successful or unsuccessful
- Whether political decentralization or devolution works
- The revenge of places that don’t matter

This conversation was recorded in June 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/ARP

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Forward Thinking on war in Ukraine, inflation, and cooperation in a fractured world with Jean Pisani-Ferry Jun 29, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush talks to leading French economist Jean Pisani-Ferry. He holds the Tommaso Padoa Schioppa chair at the European University Institute. He's a senior fellow at Bruegel, the European think tank, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute in Washington, DC. He's also a professor of economics with Sciences Po in Paris. And from 2013 to 2016, he served as commissioner general of France Strategy, the ideas lab of the French government. He covers topics including:
• The three economic challenges triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
• How worried people should be about inflation
• How institutions can cooperate globally to nurture global public goods like the natural world, food, and health in a fractured world

This conversation was recorded in May 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/JPF

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Forward Thinking on measuring the value of the digital age with Avinash Collis Jun 01, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Michael Chui talks with Avinash Collis, professor of digital economy at The University of Texas at Austin, and Digital Fellow at Stanford and MIT. He covers topics including:
— One of the greatest inventions of the 20th century
— How to run economics experiments to figure out how much digital services are worth
— How much value digital services provide that GDP doesn’t capture

This conversation was recorded in April 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/AviCollis

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Forward Thinking on trade, vaccines, and sustainable and inclusive growth with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala May 18, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, guest interviewer Acha Leke talks with Ngozi-Okonjo-Iweala. Acha Leke is a McKinsey senior partner in Johannesburg and is chairman of McKinsey’s Africa region. Okonjo-Iweala became director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in March 2021—the first woman and the first African to serve in this role.

Okonjo-Iweala talks about her first few months leading the WTO and some of the initiatives underway, and discusses the challenge of inclusive and sustainable growth in the years ahead. She answers questions including:
— How has the COVID-19 crisis affected world trade?
— As trade rebounds, what will it take to ensure that trade patterns are much more inclusive?
— How do emerging economies ensure that they have the access they need to vaccines and build the capacity to manufacture them? What role can trade and the WTO have?
— What is the interplay between growth, inclusivity, and sustainability?
— What else do we need to do to ensure that women and SMEs have access to trade?
— What do you see as some of the opportunities emerging from the pandemic crisis?

This conversation was recorded in December 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: mck.co/NgoziOkonjoIweala

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Forward Thinking on democratizing technology with Anne-Marie Imafidon May 04, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, Janet Bush talks with British mathematician and technologist Anne‑Marie Imafidon, co-founder of Stemettes, a social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in STEM sectors.

Imafidon invokes the “herstory” of stellar female technologists, such as Gladys West, who contributed to the development of GPS; Hedy Lamarr, whose work on frequency-hopping spectrum technology enabled Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; and Stephanie Kwolek, who created the first ultra-strong synthetic fibers, Kevlar being the best-known. In a rallying call for inclusion in a technologically driven world, Imafidon talks about persistent bias in data collection and algorithms that are making very big decisions that affect large parts of people’s lives. The stakes are very, very high, and we need to get this right, she states.

This conversation was recorded in February 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/Imafidon

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Forward Thinking on the growing role of business in the net-zero transition with Claire O’Neill Apr 20, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush speaks with Claire O’Neill. While serving as a minister in the British government, O’Neill led the United Kingdom’s winning bid to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, in 2021. After leaving politics, she joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) where she works closely with companies on the net-zero transition, the subject of a major recent study by MGI, McKinsey Sustainability, and McKinsey’s Advanced Industries and Global Energy and Materials practices. She covers topics including the following:
● COP26 outcomes
● The potential impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on progress toward net zero
● How businesses are mobilizing for sustainability

This conversation was recorded in March 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/ClaireONeill

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Forward Thinking on tech and the unpredictability of prediction with Benedict Evans Apr 06, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, Michael Chui talks with Benedict Evans, an independent technology analyst. Evans covers topics including the following:
● The generational shifts in technology that occur every 15 years or so
● What characterizes a “universal product”
● Why Web3 generates the most polarizing views among senior tech people
● Whether tech is becoming a regulated industry

This conversation was recorded in February 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/BenedictEvans

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Forward Thinking on sustainable and inclusive growth with Ron O’Hanley Mar 23, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, guest interviewer Jonathan Woetzel talks with Ron O’Hanley, president and CEO of State Street Corporation, a major servicer and manager of institutional assets. State Street has committed to making its portfolios carbon neutral by 2050, and O’Hanley talks about how his own organization is trying to meet that target but also helping customers to develop sustainability strategies. Among other topics on his mind are the pandemic, which dramatically illuminated vulnerabilities in societal linkages; the growth potential of digital finance; and the importance of affordable housing. He answers questions including the following:
● What will it take to make State Street’s portfolios carbon neutral by 2050?
● How will advances agreed at COP26 in Glasgow affect the climate agenda and State Street’s business?
● How does stepped-up investment in digital finance lead to growth?
● Is there a trade-off between growth and inclusivity?
● What are policy unlocks needed to create a sustainable, inclusive growth cycle?

This conversation was recorded in December 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/RonOHanley

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Forward Thinking on pandemic paradoxes, labor market myths, and ‘cowboy capitalism’ with David Autor Feb 23, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, Michael Chui talks with David Autor, Ford Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Autor talks about the paradoxes created for labor markets by the pandemic, the effect of trade globalization, the rise of China as a world economic power, and the economic impact of automation. He answers questions including:
● How have labor markets changed as the result of the pandemic, and how might they evolve?
● How has the globalization of trade affected the US labor market?
● What could have been done, and should be done now, to mitigate localized negative effects of trade shocks?
● Does ‘cowboy capitalism’ give us higher growth?
● What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned during the pandemic?

This conversation was recorded in February 2022. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/DavidAutor

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Forward Thinking on the social contract in a postpandemic world with Minouche Shafik and Andrew Sheng Feb 02, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, guest interviewer Jonathan Woetzel talks with two leading economists spanning Europe and Asia. Baroness Minouche Shafik is director of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Andrew Sheng is distinguished fellow at the Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong. The conversation centers on the state of the social contract that underpins society. They answer questions including:
● What is the social contract, and why do we need one?
● Is the social contract broken, and do we need a new one?
● How does the social contract extend into issues of sustainability, and, if so, is this an opportunity to reimagine that contract?
● Has the pandemic brought us closer to a different kind of social contract?

This conversation was recorded in December 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/ShafikSheng

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Forward Thinking on the transformative role of intangible assets in companies and economies with Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake Jan 12, 2022

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush talks with Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake. Jonathan Haskel is professor of economics at Imperial College Business School at Imperial College London and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England. Stian Westlake is chief executive of the Royal Statistical Society in the United Kingdom. Haskel and Westlake talk about their pioneering work on intangible assets: how to define them to reflect their growing role in companies and economies, the benefits and risks, and how to enable a smoother transition to a dematerialized economy with such assets at its core. They answer questions including the following:
● So we really are now in the knowledge and know-how economy. Is this a new era for capitalism?
● Are intangibles good for us?
● How do you tell whether investment in intangibles is smart or dumb?
● Are intangibles a recipe for inequality?
● What needs to be fixed to ease the transition to the intangibles economy?

This conversation was recorded in December 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/HaskelWestlake

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Forward Thinking on globalization and the evolving role of corporate leadership in the 21st century with Matthew Slaughter Dec 15, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Michael Chui talks with Matthew J. Slaughter, Paul Danos Dean and Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Slaughter takes the temperature of globalization, discussing ways of tackling distributional challenges and ensuring it works for ordinary families. He also reflects on the evolving demands on leaders of corporations in the 21st century, positing that those who recognize their wider purpose in society tend to outperform on productivity growth and profits. He answers questions including the following:
● At a time of great challenge in terms of globalization, what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and what have we learned?
● What can be done to achieve the benefits of globalization while making sure distributional challenges are addressed?
● How have the demands placed on leaders in the 21st century changed?
● In late 2021, there is a lot of discussion about supply chain issues. What is going on here and what is going to happen?

This conversation was recorded in November 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/MattSlaughter

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Forward Thinking on the enduring power of engineering in a digitizing world with Hayaatun Sillem Dec 01, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush talks with Hayaatun Sillem. She is the chief executive officer of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom—the first woman to serve in that role—and of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. She also serves as chair of judges for The St Andrews Prize for the Environment.

Sillem discusses her transition from a career as a biochemist into the world of engineering, and the work she does to promote the industry to girls and women as well as individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds. On the latter, she collaborated with seven-time Formula One world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton on a landmark study on diversity in motor sport. She answers questions including the following:
— What excites you most in the world of science at the moment?
— How does engineering fit into a dematerialized world?
— How do we change the low share of girls and women who study engineering?
— Do you feel optimistic or pessimistic that we can solve the environmental challenges facing us?

This conversation was recorded in November 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/Sillem

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Forward Thinking on making labor markets work smarter—for people and companies—with Beth Cobert and Byron Auguste Nov 17, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, Michael Chui talks to Byron Auguste and Beth Cobert whose professional life is dedicated to fostering a more skills-based labor market. Their focus is on the United States, but their diagnostic can just as easily apply to other countries and regions. Both worked at McKinsey & Company for many years on labor-market issues before going on to work in the Obama administration. Today, Beth is the chief operating officer of the Markle Foundation and CEO of Skillful, a Markle Foundation initiative. Byron Auguste is the co-founder and CEO of Opportunity@Work. They answer questions including the following:
— Who is actually working in the US labor market?
— How does the language we use—“low skill”, “high skill”—cause problems?
— What could a potential future of more of a skills-based workforce look like?
— If employers and people want a skills-based workforce, why aren’t we there already?
— Do we all have to wait until there’s some global skills taxonomy we all use? How does this thing evolve so that it actually becomes practical?

This conversation was recorded in October 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/BethCobertByronAuguste

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Forward Thinking on pandemic preparedness, climate risk, and Europe’s recovery with Guntram Wolff Oct 20, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush speaks with Guntram Wolff, the director of Bruegel, which is regularly ranked one of the top global think tanks. In early 2021, he was appointed to a new G-20 panel on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Wolff discusses the challenge of being better prepared for future pandemics, climate risk in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, and prospects for Europe’s economies as they begin to recover from the shock of the pandemic. He answers questions including the following:
— With your economist’s hat on, if you had to choose, what would be the one insight you would take away from the pandemic?
— What is the aim of the High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response?
— Is the balance of incentives tipping in the right direction for an effective response to climate change?
— Is Europe in good shape to recover from the pandemic?
— How could the tapering of pandemic-related economic support work with the very large economic imbalances between Northern and Southern Europe?

This conversation was recorded in September 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/GuntramWolff

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Forward Thinking on economies beyond COVID-19 with Michael Spence Oct 06, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Janet Bush speaks with distinguished economist Michael Spence. He is professor of economics and dean emeritus at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, senior professor at SDA Bocconi, and Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences, 2001.

Spence reflects on some of the major shifts and challenges ahead, from rolling out vaccine programs in lower-income economies to tackling climate change. He answers questions like:
● Is the current fragility in supply chains a sign that something more fundamental is happening that could affect the course of globalization?
● Will new ways of working that emerged during the pandemic persist and, if so, what are the broader economic implications?
● Are you even more worried about rising inequality now than before the pandemic?
● Are you optimistic or pessimistic about COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference?
● Can you see a silver lining to this pandemic?

This conversation was recorded in September 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/MichaelSpence

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From fighter pilot to robotics pioneer: An interview with Missy Cummings Sep 22, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Michael Chui speaks with Mary “Missy” Cummings, one of the first female fighter pilots in the US Navy and now a professor in the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, as well as the director of Duke’s Humans and Autonomy Laboratory. Cummings talks about her life as a fighter pilot and her journey into automation and robotics. She also answers questions like:
• What are your reflections on diversity across different fields?
• What are some interesting developments you’re seeing in the automation of vehicles?
• Are there things that car designers should be learning from the aerospace industry, or vice versa, as they’re starting to implement more levels of automated technology and driver assistance?
• What is the perfect use case for automation?
• What excites you most about advances in technology?

This conversation was recorded in August 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/missycummings

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[Introducing] Inside the strategy room: A conversation with Brian Chesky of Airbnb on the 21st century corporation Aug 25, 2021

We’d like to share a special interview from our friends at McKinsey’s Inside the Strategy Room podcast. In this episode, you’ll hear Brian Chesky, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, in discussion with McKinsey Global Institute co-chairman James Manikya. The theme of their conversation centered around how to build companies capable of thriving in the 21st century.

In particular, they address the major crisis AirBnB navigated in 2020 when the online marketplace went from having its long-term survival questioned to staging a successful IPO several months later.

They also discussed the sudden and dramatic plunge in AirBnB’s business, how Brian adapted their business model to those new realities, and how this challenge led to a reimagination of how the company defines its role in society and the economy.

And if you’d like to check out more conversations with business leaders like this, just search for “Inside the Strategy Room” on your preferred podcast app and subscribe.

This conversation was recorded at a recent online global CEO event focused on growing out of the crisis. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/brianchesky

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How Hamilton stayed alive during the pandemic: An interview with producer Jeffrey Seller Aug 11, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, co-host Anna Bernasek speaks with Jeffrey Seller, producer of Broadway hits Hamilton, In the Heights, Rent, and more about the tumultuous year-plus Broadway and live performances have endured. Ahead of Broadway reopening in September 2021 and live performances coming back across the United States and other countries, the man is non-stop. Jeffrey took us inside the room where it happened, sharing his experiences, including:
• Shutting down, pivoting, then staging a production in Australia during the pandemic
• How digital streaming services like Disney+ and Spotify affected demand for performance tickets
• Why he created an affordable ticket lottery to increase access to the magic of live, in-person performances
• Why he’s still an optimist, but one who’s focused on resilience

This conversation was recorded in May 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/jeffreyseller

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Forward Thinking on economic recovery and gender equality with Laura Tyson Jul 28, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, host Michael Chui speaks with Laura Tyson, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. Tyson shares her journey in economics, from discovering Econ 1 in college to chairing the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. She also answers questions like:
• Are we in a “golden age” for women in economics?
• What impact has the pandemic had on gender equality?
• What can other countries learn from Germany’s apprenticeship and skills programs in preparing for the future of work?
• Why doesn’t she expect a slow recovery after the pandemic, as we experienced after the global financial crisis?
• Why aren’t predictions about the economy more accurate, like predicting the weather?

This conversation was recorded in June 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/lauratyson

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Forward Thinking on technology and political economy with Daron Acemoglu Jul 14, 2021

In this episode of the McKinsey Global Institute’s Forward Thinking podcast, hosts Michael Chui and Anna Bernasek speak with Daron Acemoglu. Daron is a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a coauthor (with James A. Robinson) of Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty, and the author of many influential academic papers. His research covers a range of topics, including political economy, economic development, economic growth, technological change, inequality, labor economics, and economics of networks.

The conversation focuses in on how we make growth happen in a world of technological change that is largely disrupting labor markets. As Daron puts it, “I believe that the political economy of growth ... and technology, automation, AI—those [things] are intimately connected.” The influential economist connects the dots between artificial intelligence, productivity, wages, and inequality, and how to counterbalance the impacts of automation.

This conversation was recorded in April 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/daron

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Forward Thinking on China and artificial intelligence with Jeffrey Ding Jun 23, 2021

In this episode of Forward Thinking, host Michael Chui speaks with Jeffrey Ding, researcher and founder of the ChinAI newsletter, about information asymmetry in artificial intelligence between China and the West. They cover why data may not be like oil, the Chinese industry adage on products, platforms, and standards, “unsexy AI” and more.

There’s a lot of talk right now about artificial intelligence, or AI, and what it means for global competition. Today’s conversation features somebody you probably don’t know yet but probably should. He’s famous in certain corners of the internet but his work, it turns out, is relevant everywhere. MGI research suggests that while there’s AI happening all around the world, there are two places where the most AI development is taking place, and it’s the US and China.

What’s interesting about that is that while a lot of the Chinese AI developers are reading and even coauthoring English-language papers, very few Western AI practitioners are able to keep up with the flow of information in the Chinese language, even when a lot of it is published openly. It’s almost like a one-way mirror—and this asymmetry might seem strange in a field where a lot of the work is openly available on the internet. But our guest, Jeffrey Ding, has been helping to make sure more AI information flows back from China to the West.

This episode’s guest, Jeffrey Ding, is a PhD Candidate in international relations at the University of Oxford and a pre-doctoral fellow at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, sponsored by Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. He is also a research affiliate with the Centre for the Governance of AI at the University of Oxford.

This conversation was recorded in March 2021. To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/forwardthinking

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Forward Thinking on artificial intelligence with Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott Jun 09, 2021

We’ve been hearing for a long time that robots are coming for our jobs. Now, with widespread global unemployment due to COVID-19, that sounds even more ominous. But what if robots and AI could, in fact, help with recovery? Well, it’s possible. For instance, in some rural parts of the US, artificial intelligence and machine learning are making these regions more economically viable.

In this episode of Forward Thinking, we’ll hear an interview with one of the leading technology strategists in the world: Kevin Scott. Kevin is the chief technology officer and vice president of artificial intelligence and research at Microsoft. He also has a new book out called Reprogramming the American Dream.

The interview is conducted by MGI’s own James Manyika, who is a co-chairman and director of the McKinsey Global Institute, and a senior partner at McKinsey & Company. He’s also a deep expert in his own right when it comes to artificial intelligence and machine learning. That’s why James sat down with Kevin to discuss how AI might be the key to democratizing technology to work better for all of us.

This conversation was recorded in May 2020.

To read a transcript of this episode, visit: https://mck.co/forwardthinking

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Forward Thinking on measuring GDP and productivity with Diane Coyle May 26, 2021

“Digital is changing the way that we create value in society. Where in value chains does that happen? Who gets the benefits? And is there a gap between what we measure in dollars and the economic welfare, the benefits, that people can get from these digital services? There's a wedge opening up between the categories and the dollar values that we can assign to activities and the benefits that people are getting and who is getting those benefits, as well.”

Diane Coyle is known for her critique of how economic activity has been measured and valued. She’s written about how transactions are counted in dollars, but that accounting really leaves out important things like physical resources, intellectual resources, and valuable activity that isn't traded for money.

In this episode, we speak to hear to understand more about why this matters, how to rectify this measurement, and whether she’s optimistic about the future after COVID-19.

This conversation was recorded in February 2021.

To read a transcript of this episode, visit: mck.co/forwardthinking

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Forward Thinking on the Bio Revolution with Jason Kelly and Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath May 12, 2021

You’ve heard about the Industrial Revolution and the digital revolution. But now, we’re heading into a Bio Revolution. And this is going to transform the economy and society in many ways—even beyond health and agriculture. And we need to understand both the potential for good and how to avoid the pitfalls.

In this episode, we start with a picture of the science that’s happening, then explore where might these advances lead. Our guests are two people doing truly amazing work literally on the very frontiers of where these advances are taking place. Jason Kelly is the founder of Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotech company that describes itself as “the organism company.” And Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath is the president and CEO of the Biological Innovation Organization (BIO).

Interview date: November 2020

To read more about the Bio Revolution, visit: mck.co/biorev To read a transcript of this episode, visit: mck.co/forwardthinking

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A happy warrior: Mellody Hobson on mentorship, diversity, and feedback May 12, 2021

As part of Black History Month, MGI co-chair James Manyika had an open, candid conversation with Mellody Hobson and an audience of McKinsey colleagues in the San Francisco office. “You can almost pick any arena you want in American business, society, and community, and I think you’ll probably find Mellody involved, playing some important pioneering role there.” From her childhood on the South Side of Chicago, to Princeton, to leading Ariel Investments and now chairing the board of Starbucks, Mellody Hobson is an inspirational business leader and investor. She shares her journey, a peek into her how she sees her work, and gives advice on mentorship, sponsorship, and difficult feedback. On that note, she says: “Accept it, do not push back, do not fight. If this feedback is a gift, take it for what it is.”

This conversation was recorded on February 21, 2020.

To read a transcript of this episode, visit: mck.co/mellodyhobson

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Programming life: An interview with Jennifer Doudna May 12, 2021

The Bio Revolution has the potential to transform our lives, and genome editing—the ability to change the DNA sequence in a targeted way using CRISPR-Cas9, is one of the key innovations that has sparked imaginations while also raising its fair share of controversy. What is the origin of this technique? How do we weigh the enormous benefits against the potential risks? And what is its role in solving the global coronavirus pandemic? As part of the McKinsey Global Institute’s research on the Bio Revolution, partner Michael Chui spoke with Jennifer Doudna, PhD, one of the scientists who discovered the genome-editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 and leading proponent of its responsible use. Jennifer is a professor of molecular and cell biology and chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. The Doudna lab pursues a mechanistic understanding of fundamental biological processes involving RNA molecules.

To read a transcript of this episode, visit: mck.co/3dEJWhJ

To read more about the Bio Revolution, visit: mck.co/biorev

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Forward Thinking on Unemployment with Sir Christopher Pissarides May 12, 2021

Millions of people have lost their jobs over the past year, and the jobs that are going to be available coming out of the pandemic might be really different from those that were available even a few years ago. Just think about some of the jobs that employed a lot of people before: in-person services like personal care, dining, travel, and leisure. All those things have been decimated by the impact of COVID. How many of these are coming back? How do we help unemployed workers find new jobs and new career paths? What support do they need along the way? Would we or could we even get to no unemployment? What really works when it comes to policies to address these problems? How do we even know they’re working?

We ask these questions (and more) to Sir Chris Pissarides, He’s a Nobel prize-winning economist, the professor of economics at London School of Economics, and professor of European studies at the University of Cyprus. Chris specializes in labor markets, macroeconomic policy, economic growth, and structural change.

This conversation was recorded in February 2021.

To read a transcript of this episode, visit: mck.co/forwardthinking

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Introducing “Forward Thinking” from the McKinsey Global Institute May 05, 2021

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 00:90) > Forward Thinking is a new podcast series hosted by Michael Chui and Anna Bernasek. We want to inform and provoke your thinking by interviewing names you may know—like Nobel prizewinners Jennifer Doudna and Sir Christopher Pissarides—and by introducing up-and-comers you should know. We ask experts to tell us about the key changes they see that will shape our lives, our businesses, and our societies…Including what comes next after COVID-19, global health, climate change, the future of work, diversity, inclusion, inequality, and cutting-edge technology like the bio revolution and artificial intelligence. Interviews are underpinned by deep McKinsey Global Institute research that provides fundamental insights needed by leaders like you.

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How can business leaders can make the new world of work better for people? May 16, 2018

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 28:53) > We speak with two leaders on the forefront of applying AI techniques such as automation and machine learning in the business world. How can CEOs stay ahead of the curve in training and developing their workforce for using this technology? Since companies are doing the hiring and creating the jobs, what role do they play in talent and development? How should companies think about hiring as work changes? John Donahoe, CEO of ServiceNow, and Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, tackle the tough questions facing companies today.

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How can business leaders, policymakers, and individuals prepare today for the jobs of tomorrow? Mar 16, 2018

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 35:55) > We’ve explored McKinsey Global Institute’s research on the future of work in this podcast series. What do other experts have to say? We sat down with Zoe Baird, CEO of the Markle Foundation, and Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media, at the Churchill Club in San Francisco to share their thoughts on the new world of work. They address key questions including: how do we retrain the workforce? What role does government play in the transition? How are businesses preparing for the shift? How do we ensure an equitable future of work? And, should we consider universal basic income?

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How will automation affect jobs, skills, and wages? Feb 02, 2018

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 32:14) > Automation will displace many jobs over the next 10-15 years, but many others will be created, and even more will change. Jobs of the future will use different skills and may have higher educational requirements. In this episode, we ask experts how we can retrain workers for the new world of work and what the shifts might mean for occupations and wages.

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What will automation mean for wages and income inequality? Jan 26, 2018

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 21:22) > In this episode, we examine how technology has affected employment and incomes in manufacturing and other sectors in the United States and other advanced economies in the recent past and discuss whether automation could widen the gap between high and low-income jobs.

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How will automation affect economies around the world? Jan 19, 2018

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 31:53) > New technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping the workplace globally, but there are likely to be significant differences from country to country. In this podcast, we look at automation’s likely impact in China, Europe, and India.

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What can history teach us about technology and jobs? Dec 19, 2017

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 34:59) > This is not the first time the world has experienced significant shifts in employment due to new technology. History tells us that in the long run, technology is a net creator of jobs. But with AI and automation's rapid advances, could this time be different? Here's what we can learn from past employment transitions, first out of agriculture and more recently out of manufacturing.

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How do we create meaningful work in an age of automation? Dec 12, 2017

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 26:38) > James Manyika of the McKinsey Global Institute and Matthew Taylor of the RSA discuss how new workplace trends such as automation, AI, and the gig economy are creating a need for policies that create not just jobs, but work that is more satisfying and meaningful.

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What is the future of work? Nov 28, 2017

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Listen to the podcast (duration: 22:45) > New technology has the potential to drastically change work. How can we prepare today for the shifts that are coming tomorrow?

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