This is a profile image of Ishaan Seth

Ishaan Seth

Senior PartnerNew York

Co-leads McKinsey’s Global Banking & Securities Practice and our work in North America. Ishaan works with clients across financial services and private equity. His client service spans strategy, corporate finance, digital and analytics, performance transformation, and M&A.

Ishaan co-leads McKinsey’s Banking & Securities Practice globally.

He serves a range of clients that include retail and investment banks, wealth and asset managers, private-equity investors, and financial technology providers.

In addition to broad performance improvement programs, Ishaan has worked with numerous CEOs, CFOs, and boards on a wide range of value-creation efforts, across strategy diagnostics, strategy formulation, investor narratives and communications, and implementation.

Ishaan formerly led McKinsey's Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice globally, counseling CEOs, CFOs and senior teams on their roles, the finance function, portfolio strategy, and organizational issues. He also helped establish and lead McKinsey's Financial Services Private Equity efforts, and formerly led McKinsey's overall recruiting efforts in North America.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Ishaan worked in investment banking for Morgan Stanley in New York and London. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s in history (Phi Beta Kappa) and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar (Highest Distinction). Ishaan also serves on the Board of Trustees of The Dalton School in New York City. He lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters.

Published work

Rising CEOs: Lessons from the McKinsey Leadership Forum,” McKinsey Quarterly, April 2023

How ambidextrous leaders manage through volatile times,” McKinsey & Company, January 2023

Memo to public company CFOs: Private equity can show you how it’s done,” McKinsey & Company, November 2022

Strategic courage in an age of volatility,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022

Choosing to grow: The leader’s blueprint,” McKinsey & Company, July 2022

Reflections on 20 years of McKinsey on Finance—and three challenges ahead,” McKinsey Quarterly, June 2022

Are scenarios limiting your pandemic recovery strategy?,” McKinsey & Company, November 2020

Memo to the CFO: A new approach to 2021 budgeting starts now,” McKinsey & Company, September 2020

The CFO’s role in helping companies navigate the coronavirus crisis,” McKinsey & Company, March 2020

Memo to the CFO: Get in front of digital finance—or get left back,” McKinsey & Company, July 2018

How CFOs can better support board directors—and vice versa,” McKinsey & Company, March 2018

Bots, algorithms, and the future of the finance function,” McKinsey & Company, January 2018

The strategist CFO: A conversation with ADP’s Jan Siegmund,” McKinsey & Company, April 2015

The CFO's role in the pursuit of growth,” McKinsey Quarterly, June 2013

Getting more out of offshoring the finance function,” McKinsey on Finance, Number #23, Spring 2007

Education

Harvard Business School
MBA

Harvard University
BA, history