When James O. McKinsey founded McKinsey in 1926, he could not have imagined the reach his small firm would eventually have. Eighty-five years later, the firm has grown into a
global partnership serving two-thirds
of the Fortune 1000.

1920s | 1930s1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s

1960s

1960sWhile globalization is a staple of 21st-century business, its roots are in the lowering of tariff barriers throughout the 1960s. This spurred many major American and European companies to reach beyond their own borders. Many of these early multinationals sought our advice on how to organize as conglomerates.

As a result, our firm began to expand its international presence. We established offices in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, and Switzerland. We also added Canada and Australia to our international network.

We launched the McKinsey Quarterly in 1964, to present our most innovative work on management theory to business leaders worldwide. Today, almost 50,000 clients and business contacts receive the print book, and there are more than two million registered users on McKinseyQuarterly.com.