There is no single issue defining what leaders are focused on right now. Top executives are grappling with multiple macro headwinds all at once—and the pressure isn’t letting up soon. Our latest roundup of McKinsey leaders in global media looks at the future of African banking, age inclusivity in fashion, the rise of the human–AI workforce, and more.
The CEO role is getting harder—and more consequential. McKinsey’s Kurt Strovink describes a CEO agenda crowded by disruption and rising stakeholder expectations. “The CEO role is the only role that you can’t outwork,” he tells Business Insider. “It will outwork you.” For today’s leaders, stamina matters—but judgment, courage, and clarity matter, too.
“A McKinsey senior partner explains why it’s so hard to be a CEO right now” [Business Insider, April 14]
Also read: “Collective action, collective success: A CEO’s role in transformations”
A new focus in fashion. The style industry is paying closer attention to older female consumers—and not just on the runway. In The New York Times, McKinsey’s Gemma D’Auria notes that consumers over 50 represent a major share of both current and future spending power, making age inclusivity a potential new lever of growth.
“Why fashion suddenly loves older women” [The New York Times, April 19]
Also read: “The State of Fashion 2026: When the rules change”
Stablecoins face their real payments test. While stablecoin transaction volumes are often reported in the trillions of dollars, roughly 99 percent of that activity is tied to crypto trading rather than everyday payments, McKinsey’s Matt Higginson tells Bloomberg. Actual payment usage—such as business transactions, remittances, and cross-border transfers—remains relatively small, but the sector is growing rapidly.
“Why stablecoins are crypto’s real payments test” [Bloomberg, May 10]
Also read: “Stablecoins in payments: What the raw transaction numbers miss”
The human–AI workforce is here. As AI agents take on a larger share of work, McKinsey’s Anu Madgavkar points to a future in which leaders must redesign work around human and machine collaboration. Madgavkar tells Fortune that 30 to 50 percent of a person’s work hours and activities could transform in the next three to five years. That means the question is no longer just which tasks AI can perform, but how organizations prepare people to work alongside technology.
“McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next five years” [Fortune, May 21]
Also read: “The rise of the human–AI workforce”
African banking turns a corner. The continent’s banking sector has crossed a new threshold, McKinsey Partner Mayowa Kuyoro tells Reuters, moving “from a story of potential to one of performance,” with revenues topping $100 billion for the first time and returns well above the global average. The next challenge is turning that momentum into durable growth, as banks scale digital capabilities, move beyond traditional lending, and navigate currency volatility and concentrated revenue pools.
“African banks outpace global peers on returns as revenues top $100 billion, McKinsey says” [Reuters, March 31]
Also read: “From potential to performance: A snapshot of African banking”