About Chinezi
Chinezi is a senior expert in our Public Sector Practice. He is also a leader in our Social Sector Practice, where he directs McKinsey’s work on education in Africa. A frequent speaker on the topic of education, Chinezi is co-author of our research report, “How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better,” which has been translated into six languages.
Chinezi regularly advises education leaders on issues spanning all levels of education and skills development, including pre-primary, primary, and secondary school; vocational and technical education; higher education; and corporate-skills planning. He is an expert on topics such as school-system strategy and operations, talent management, technology in education, and education for employment.
A citizen of Nigeria and the United States, Chinezi is fluent in Igbo and English, and speaks conversational French. He is based in Johannesburg, where he has been a featured speaker at a number of forums, including the South African National Basic Education Conference, International Conference of Principals, Africa Education Summit, Association of African Business Schools Conference, and African Leadership Network, among others. He is also a member of the operating committee for McKinsey’s Leadership Development Programme in South Africa.
Prior to joining McKinsey in 2006, Chinezi was a mathematics teacher at a secondary school in the United States. He holds master’s degrees in business administration and education, as well as a certificate in public management, from Stanford University; he also holds a BA in psychology and an honors certificate in African studies from Harvard University. An active member of his community, Chinezi serves as a mentor for the SOMAFCO Trust, a nonprofit organization focusing on youth development, and for Black Phoenix, a group of young South African students and professionals.
Published work
“How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better,” McKinsey on Society, November 2010
Past experience
| George School |
Mathematics teacher and sports coach |
Education
| Stanford University |
MBA, MA in education |
| Harvard University |
BA in psychology |