Li-Kai advises private and public sector clients on large-scale organizational and performance transformation programs. He works with executives, leaders and boards on modernizing organizations and building successful, sustainable institutions in the face of industry or economic discontinuity.
Prior to this, he was the global leader of McKinsey’s Education Practice. In this role, he advised school systems, vocational and higher-education institutions on improving student learning outcomes, day-to-day experiences and employment prospects. He has experience in the education sector in more than 30 countries across Asia, North America, the Middle East, Oceania, and Europe.
Recent examples of his client work include:
- designing and helping implement large-scale programs to drive performance transformation, accelerated digitization, and improved productivity across a leading Asian conglomerate
- working with sovereign-wealth funds and government investment companies to maximize value and transform performance across their portfolio companies
- advising an Asian government on the reform and transformation of the school and higher education systems towards improving student and system outcomes
- developing a national five-year economic strategy, blueprint, and detailed implementation plans
- helping establish new forms of public–private partnerships to increase employability among students and graduates
- supporting a global foundation on a major portfolio-management effort.
Formerly, he was the managing partner of McKinsey’s Malaysia office and has served clients in a range of industries – including financial services, telecommunications, retail, private equity, agriculture, education – on issues such as strategy, corporate finance, corporate governance, and talent development.
Li-Kai serves on the board of trustees of Teach for Malaysia—a partner of the Teach For All global network. Before joining McKinsey, he worked in the investment banking sector with Barclays Capital and as a quantity surveyor with Balfour Beatty.