McKinsey and the World Economic Forum 2023

Resilience and globalization in a fragmented world

The multitude of ongoing crises calls for bold collective action. Remaining true to the World Economic Forum’s spirit of multistakeholder cooperation, the Annual Meeting 2023 which took place January 16 to January 20, brought together top decision-makers from government, business, and civil society to address major global issues and priorities for the year ahead.

As a strategic partner to the World Economic Forum, McKinsey engaged with Davos 2023 participants in constructive, forward-looking dialogues and identified impact-oriented solutions that will contribute to a better world, focused on sustainable inclusive growth.

Latest themes

Resilience | Sustainability | Reimagining Globalization | Inclusion | Space


Our Davos insights

Article

Why Davos matters more than ever
– Global challenges call for global leadership.
Article

2023, a testing year: Will the macro-scenario range widen or narrow?
– Will the world move to solve its structural problems and make superior short-term choices? Yes or no: that’s the first question on the test.
Article

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023
– Leaders need clarity on what works to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our 2023 report shows success factors that contributed to significant, quantifiable, scalable, and sustainable DEI impact.
Discussion Paper - McKinsey Global Institute

The China imperative for multinational companies
– Multinational companies operating in China must reconfigure for opportunity and risk.
Article

What is Davos?
– Davos, Switzerland, is where the World Economic Forum holds its annual meeting. Delegates from many sectors converge for several days of talks and meetings to address urgent global issues.
Article

Young Global Leaders on Davos 2023

The world was a dynamic place in 2022, with the Ukraine war, inflation, climate change, supply chain challenges, and COVID-19 dominating our attention. As we prepare for a new year and the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in January, what themes in business, economics, and policy can we expect to surface at Davos 2023?

Resilience

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

A defining moment: How Europe’s CEOs can build resilience to grow in today’s economic maelstrom
– Can leaders lift their companies to the next frontier of resilience—not only to survive but also to thrive?
Article

Something’s coming: How US companies can build resilience, survive a downturn, and thrive in the next cycle
– The US economy continues to throw off mixed signals. But one thing is becoming clear: executives should prepare for an extended period of higher interest rates.
Article

Resilience for sustainable, inclusive growth
– Resilience should be seen as the ability to deal with adversity, withstand shocks, and continuously adapt and accelerate as disruptions and crises arise over time.

Sustainability

Report

The energy transition: A region-by-region agenda for near-term action
– What practical actions could countries take now to ensure that the energy transition both accelerates and proceeds in an orderly... fashion?
Report

Nature in the balance: What companies can do to restore natural capital
– Specific corporate actions, many with a positive return on investment, could help reverse the trend of the depletion of natural... capital.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly

A devilish duality: How CEOs can square resilience with net-zero promises
– Amid turbulence on the path to net zero, leaders will have to be much nimbler to balance resilience with an energy future that... is secure, affordable, and clean. Five actions can help.

Reimagining Globalization

Article - McKinsey Global Institute

The complication of concentration in global trade
– Concentration in the origins of traded products is widespread, prompting questions about whether to diversify or decouple.
Discussion Paper - McKinsey Global Institute

Global flows: The ties that bind in an interconnected world
– Economic and political turbulence have prompted speculation that the world is already deglobalizing. But the evidence suggests... that global integration is here to stay, albeit with nuance.
Discussion Paper - McKinsey Global Institute

On the cusp of a new era?
– Current economic and political turbulence could presage the start of a new era that is structurally very different with a new... narrative of progress.

Inclusion

Article

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023
– Leaders need clarity on what works to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our 2023 report shows success factors that contributed... to significant, quantifiable, scalable, and sustainable DEI impact.
Article

Women in the Workplace 2022
– Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen, and ambitious young women are prepared to do the... same. To make meaningful and sustainable progress toward gender equality, companies need to go beyond table stakes. That’s according to the latest Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey, in partnership with LeanIn.Org.
Article

The state of diversity in global private markets: 2022
– New research captures regional differences in the state of diversity in private equity and discusses the role of institutional... investors as a catalyst for change.

Space

Blog Post

Your guide to navigating the space economy
– It’s been 50 years since the Apollo 17 crew returned to Earth following a historic lunar landing.
Collection

The Next Normal – The future of space: It’s getting crowded out there
– Could you soon be taking trips to outer space? Some experts think so. Rocket launches have become much less expensive, so thousands... more satellites—and many more people than ever before—can venture into orbit. But more objects in space also mean more space debris and higher risks of collisions. In this edition of The Next Normal, McKinsey experts and industry executives envision the space industry’s next decade.
Article

A different space race: Raising capital and accelerating growth
– As innovation accelerates within the space sector, companies may benefit by taking a disruptor’s mindset to accessing and... deploying capital.
More on Space Economy of the Future

World Economic Forum – McKinsey Collaborations

The Global Lighthouse Network
Seeks to shape the future of advanced manufacturing and production through “lighthouse” factories.

The Future of Sustainable Mobility
Looks to bridge the public trust gap and accelerate the transition to cleaner, safer, more inclusive mobility systems.

Critical Building Blocks for a Sustainable Concrete Market
Cement is essential for construction but accounts for approximately 7% of global CO₂ production. The World Economic Forum–McKinsey knowledge collaboration on the decarbonization of cement looks to lower emissions through circularity solutions and reducing the need for new virgin components.

Our core team

Bob Sternfels
Global Managing Partner, Bay Area
Bob serves as the global managing partner of McKinsey & Company
Daniel Pacthod
Senior Partner, New York
As global co-leader of McKinsey Sustainability, Daniel supports leading organizations in accelerating efforts to decarbonize and...
Tracy Francis
Senior Partner and Chief Marketing Officer, São Paulo
Advises clients and serves as our global chief marketing officer; leads the firm’s environmental, social, and governance initiatives
Fabian Billing
Managing Partner Germany and Austria, Düsseldorf
Fabian serves as the Managing Partner of McKinsey Germany and Austria
Sven Smit
Senior Partner, Chair of Insights and Ecosystems, and Chair of McKinsey Global Institute, Amsterdam
Leads research on economic and business trends and works with companies to develop business strategies and transformations

2023 Delegation

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...
Liz Hilton Segel
Senior Partner, Chief Client Officer and Managing Partner, Global Industry Practices, New York
Counsels CEOs and aligns with their teams and broader organizations to build new capabilities and new businesses with a focus...
Joe Ngai
Senior Partner and Chair - Greater China, Hong Kong
Managing partner of McKinsey Greater China offices; brings deep knowledge of China’s financial institutions and markets and extensive...
Kim Baroudy
Senior Partner, Copenhagen
Serves clients in the telecommunications, technology, private-equity, and financial-technology sectors—including financial...
Danielle Bozarth
Senior Partner, New York
Brings more than 20 years of experience serving a broad set of B2C companies, including in travel, logistics, consumer, and retail
Becca Coggins
Senior Partner, Chicago
Advises retail and hospitality clients on transforming their performance, health, and capabilities
Rajat Dhawan
Senior Partner and India Managing Partner, Gurugram
Creates transformational impact for clients and catalyzes Firm’s innovations towards delivering holistic impact
Kweilin Ellingrud
McKinsey Global Institute Director and Senior Partner, Minneapolis
Leads insights and discussions on future of work, gender equality, racial equity, and productivity. Serves clients across strategy...
Fernando Ferrari-Haines
Senior Partner and Managing Partner - LatAm, Bogotá
Drives transformation programs in a number of industries, with a focus on operations, cultural change, and digital turnarounds
Massimo Giordano
Managing Partner, Mediterranean office, Milan
Leads our Mediterranean office, advising major institutions and leading companies on a broad range of issues, with a particular...
Megan Ann Greenfield
Partner, Boston
Helps healthcare companies drive growth by building innovative go-to-market and pricing models and works with investors to identify...
Solveigh Hieronimus
Senior Partner, Munich
Serves clients in both the public and private sector at the intersection of regulation, sustainability, and growth. Co-leads McKinsey's...
Ida Kristensen
Senior Partner, New York
Coleads the Risk & Resilience Practice; advises leading financial institutions on cybersecurity, strategies for risk management,...
Gautam Kumra
Senior Partner and Chairman - Asia, Singapore
Chairman of McKinsey’s offices in Asia; helps McKinsey’s clients in Asia create change that matters, by building leading institutions...
Acha Leke
Senior Partner, Johannesburg
Works with key public, private, and social sector institutions to accelerate growth and development in Africa
Clarisse Magnin-Mallez
Senior Partner, Paris
Managing Partner of McKinsey in France. Leads our work in the Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail Practices in Africa, Europe,...
Jukka Maksimainen
Senior Partner, Helsinki
Leads the firm’s work in global energy and materials using experience in serving natural-resources companies, advanced-industries...
María del Mar Martínez
Senior Partner, Madrid
Co-leads McKinsey’s Risk & Resilience Practice and advises financial institutions on growth strategies and organization, innovation,...
Asutosh Padhi
Senior Partner and North America Managing Partner, Chicago
Managing Partner for McKinsey in North America; helps companies with strategies related to technology and innovation, large-scale...
Pedro Rodeia
Senior Partner, London
Co-leads the Global Banking Practice. Works with financial institutions on a wide range of strategy, digital and organization...
Noppamas Sivakriskul
Senior Partner and Managing Partner, Bangkok
Leads our digital business-building work in Southeast Asia and advises B2B and B2C companies across the continent
Kate Smaje
Senior Partner, London
As the global leader of McKinsey Digital, serves consumer-facing companies on digitally enabled strategy, marketing, operational,...
Shelley Stewart
Senior Partner, New York
Helps companies accelerate growth in the private-equity, advanced-industries, and technology sectors; guides organizations across...
Humayun Tai
Senior Partner, New York
Leads our Electric Power & Natural Gas Practice globally, serving major utility and energy technology clients across a variety...
Ozgur Tanrikulu
Senior Partner
Ozgur is the managing partner for McKinsey in the EEMA region, which includes Africa, CIS (including Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan),...
Andreas Tschiesner
Senior Partner, Munich
Advises companies on strategic questions and challenges related to technology and innovation, with a key focus on large-scale...
Yuito Yamada
Partner, Tokyo
Serves as Asia’s coleader and Japan’s leader for McKinsey Sustainability—the firm’s global client service platform to help all...
See More

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Featured collaborations

Seizing the momentum to build resilience for a future of sustainable inclusive growth

To secure a sustainable, inclusive future in a world of continuous, overlapping disruptions, leaders are recognizing the critical need to invest in long-term resilience.
Download the report

Seizing resilience momentum: our existential opportunity

Global disruption is ramping up, everywhere from geopolitics to food and energy. Addressing these disruptions cannot be done in a piecemeal manner—we must confront them systemically. Sustained collective action by the public and private sectors is the only path forward; a resilient growth strategy is not only a necessity, but it also represents an opportunity.
Read the article

Investing in women and diverse entrepreneurs to boost the post-pandemic recovery

Women and diverse individuals often run up against systemic challenges and resource scarcity when pursuing entrepreneurship and small business ownership. The greater presence of women and diverse fund founders should mitigate some of the demographic and cultural biases in the distribution of financing.
Read the article

The incumbent business as a startup machine

For the past three decades, the business world has intently watched the growth and innovation fueled by startups – and rightly so. Six of the top 10 tech companies today didn’t exist back then. But in fixating so much on this one segment of value creation, we may be collectively overlooking an even bigger opportunity: the incumbent business as a startup machine.
Read the article

Nature and net zero

This report explores natural climate solutions, which offer an opportunity to address both climate and nature crises and generate significant additional environmental, social and economic benefits.
Download the report

The Next Wave: Green Corridors

Green corridors are specific trade routes between major port hubs where zero-emission solutions are supported. A new report shows that accelerated decarbonization for the shipping industry is feasible, and could provide stakeholders with the confidence to invest, coordinate, and deliver solutions at scale by 2030.
Read the report

Road Freight Zero: Pathways to faster adoption of zero-emission trucks

This report identifies three groups of solutions can act as accelerators for faster adoption: new policy frameworks, innovative financing and service models, and coordinated roll-out of trucks and infrastructure.
Read the report

Critical insights on the path to a net-zero aviation sector

Dramatically reducing CO2 emissions by 2050 in the aviation industry will not be easy, but advanced modeling shows that it is possible—with the right ambition and investment.
Read the article

Forging ahead: A materials roadmap for the zero-carbon car

The systems-wide change needed to create circularity in the automotive sector and sometimes seem costly and prohibitive. However, as this report demonstrates, significant abatement is possible for the auto industry with very little additional added vehicle material cost.
Download the report

Clean skies for tomorrow: Sustainable aviation fuels as a pathway to net-zero aviation

A transition to carbon-neutral flying is possible and sustainable aviation fuels are the most promising decarbonization pathway in the near term.
Download the report

Ramping up operations and business activity post-COVID-19

– Four strategic actions can help companies to effectively prepare and ensure a successful ramp-up of production and business activity for a post-COVID-19 world.
Read the executive briefing

Resuming operations and business activity post-COVID-19

– Perspectives on how companies can return to work and resume operations and business activity as early as possible, while ensuring employees’ safety and preventing new infections.
Read the executive briefing

Global Lighthouse Network: Insights from the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution

– This paper looks closer at 14 “Lighthouse” manufacturers that show how end-to-end innovation in the value chain can improve productivity, operating cost, and speed to market.
Read the report

Industry’s fast-mover advantage: Enterprise value from digital factories

Manufacturing’s leaders in applying Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) digital technologies are building on their head start—generating even more value across the entire enterprise.
Read the article

The future of the last-mile ecosystem

What’s ahead for urban deliveries? This new report analyzes interventions—such as the use of electric vehicles and parcel lockers—that could lower emissions and congestion considerably.
Read the report

3 ways we can help women join the age of automation

The public, private, and third sectors need to work together to support women to make the transitions they need to thrive in the automation age, write Anu Madgavkar, Vivian Hunt, and Lareina Yee in World Economic Forum.
Read the article

How AI can improve disaster resilience and relief

Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and ferocity. Here's how AI can come to the rescue.
Read the article

How to incentivize food systems to meet the realities of the 21st century

Today’s food systems don’t address the needs of people or the planet. New research from the World Economic Forum and McKinsey lays out a road map to create the needed incentives.
Read the article

DAVOS ARCHIVES

Blog Post

In Davos, shining a light on the economic future of America: Manufacturing.

– Manufacturing was once thought to be a declining industry in the US—but according to our North America managing partner, the US industrial technology sector is booming.

World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders

Senior Partner and Managing Partner, Abu Dhabi

Rima Assi
Partner, Boston

Megan Ann Greenfield

Partner, Boston

Shelley Stewart
Partner, Tokyo

Yuito Yamada

World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Alumni

Senior Partner and Chair, Middle East

Gassan Al-Kibsi
Senior Partner, Munich

Adam Bird
Senior Partner and Chief Legal Officer, New York

Pierre M. Gentin
Senior Partner, Munich

Solveigh Hieronimus
Partner, Istanbul

Bengi Korkmaz

Senior Partner, Mumbai

Alok Kshirsagar
Senior Partner, Johannesburg

Acha Leke
Partner, Philadelphia

Erwann Michel-Kerjan
Leader, Global Publishing, New York

Raju Narisetti

Blog Post

The Davos Agenda: What we shared and heard

– The virtual event gathered 1500 global leaders for hundreds of discussions around the theme “A crucial year to rebuild trust.”

Davos 2020: What mattered
– McKinsey’s global managing partner Kevin Sneader shares his notes from this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

Davos 2019: Four big themes
– Which topics dominated at Davos this year? What was the general outlook? Kevin Sneader, our global managing partner, offers a first-hand perspective.
Learn more