Aspen Ideas Festival 2017

This year we are delighted to support and participate in the Aspen Ideas Festival (June 25-July 1), an annual forum that brings together global leaders and experts for public debate on the biggest issues facing business and society. Throughout the week, McKinsey leaders will be participating and hosting discussions. On June 29, the McKinsey Global Institute will launch Making it in America, our latest research on the future of US manufacturing, jobs, and income inequality.
Video - McKinsey Global Institute

The evolution of employment and skills in the age of AI
– As artificial intelligence alters work done in all manner of industries, companies and governments can help workers transition... by supporting incomes and facilitating skills training.
Article - McKinsey Global Institute

Do American workers feel they can ‘make it’?
– Whether people in the United States believe they can thrive economically in a digitally disrupted world depends strongly on the... amount of education they’ve attained, according to a new survey.
Video - McKinsey Global Institute

Fostering dignity through work
– Business can’t only be about driving shareholder value, says Allstate CEO Tom Wilson. A company also has to be able to create... dignity through work to support its employees.

Related reading

US economy

Report - McKinsey Global Institute

New insights into the slowdown in US productivity growth
– Can the productivity puzzle be solved? Fresh analysis examines the issue and highlights opportunities for companies and policy... makers to act on.
Article - Harvard Business Review

We can't undo globalization, but we can improve it
– While the impulse to erect trade barriers is understandable, it is not the way to create lasting growth and shared prosperity,... write Gary Pinkus, James Manyika and Sree Ramaswamy in Harvard Business Review.
Article - McKinsey Global Institute

Here’s how to get the US economy to grow 3.5 percent or more
– The new administration can make a fresh start.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

Can the US economy return to dynamic and inclusive growth?
– Slower economic growth in the United States has wrought a vicious cycle that has hobbled many American households. Targeted investment... and policy action could turn it around.

Technology and jobs

Executive Briefing - McKinsey Global Institute

Technology, jobs, and the future of work
– Automation, digital platforms, and other innovations are changing the fundamental nature of work. Understanding these shifts can... help policy makers, business leaders, and workers move forward.
Article

Closing the skills gap: Creating workforce-development programs that work for everyone
– The ‘‘skills gap’’ in the United States is serious. Here is how to do better.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

Harnessing automation for a future that works
– Automation is happening, and it will bring substantial benefits to businesses and economies worldwide, but it won’t arrive... overnight. A new McKinsey Global Institute report finds realizing automation’s full potential requires people and technology to work hand in hand.
Report - McKinsey Global Institute

Independent work: Choice, necessity, and the gig economy
– The McKinsey Global Institute examines all the ways people are earning income, as well as the challenges independent work presents.

Global trends

Article

The global forces inspiring a new narrative of progress

– Growth is shifting, disruption is accelerating, and societal tensions are rising. Confronting these dynamics will help you craft a better strategy, and forge a brighter future.

Sustainability and resource productivity

Article

Battery storage: The next disruptive technology in the power sector
– Low-cost storage could transform the power landscape. The implications are profound.
Article

Winds of change? Why offshore wind might be the next big thing
– Falling costs and rising acceptance are promising signs, but the industry needs to keep improving.
Article

Developing products for a circular economy
– Cross-functional collaboration and customer-focused design thinking can help companies reap more value from the energy and resources... they use.
Article

How solar energy can (finally) create value
– The market for solar power is growing faster than ever, but profitability has been lagging. The keys to improvement are better... capital and operational efficiency.

McKinsey at the Aspen Ideas Festival, 2017

Michael Chui

McKinsey Global Institute Partner, Bay Area
Leads research on the impact of information technologies and innovation on business, the economy, and society

Katy George

Senior Partner and Chief People Officer, New Jersey
Oversees all people functions across the firm, including diversity and inclusion, and leads client transformation and research around technology-enabled...

James Manyika

Chairman Emeritus, McKinsey Global Institute, and Senior Partner, Emeritus, Bay Area
Previously led research on global economic and technology trends and served many of the world's leading high tech companies on growth, innovation,...

Gary Pinkus

Senior Partner, Bay Area
Chairman of North America and a global leader in private equity and investment, with deep roots in healthcare

McKinsey on Twitter at #AspenIdeas