Lareina is a senior partner and helps lead McKinsey’s work with technology disruptors. An expert on digital sales transformations, sales excellence, go-to-market strategies, and culture change, Lareina brings 20 years of experience to companies across the value chain. She previously served as McKinsey’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer.
Lareina cofounded Women in the Workplace, a research partnership with LeanIn.org and The Wall Street Journal, and has coauthored a significant body of research, including “Delivering through diversity,” and the “The future of women at work: transitions in the age of automation.” Lareina frequently speaks about women in business, including, most recently, Aspen Ideas Festival, Women Deliver, and a joint collaboration between McKinsey and The Wall Street Journal on a report titled, “Women in the workplace.” She writes and speaks widely on diversity and inclusion topics including appearances in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, CBS News, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, Fox Business, and many other outlets. Additionally, Lareina was chosen Working Mother of the Year in 2016 by Working Mother magazine.
Outside of McKinsey, Lareina is on the board of Safe & Sound, a not for profit focused on child-abuse prevention.
Videos & Podcasts
“Taking the first steps toward net-zero emissions,” McKinsey Global Institute, March 2022
“The state of burnout for women in the workplace,” McKinsey & Company, January 2022
“McKinsey and Lean In: New details on gender gap,” Wall Street Journal, October 2018
“Women face a steeper path to leadership in workplace: Lean In president,” CNBC, October 2017
“Lareina Yee at PBWC17,” 2017 Professional BusinessWomen of California, March 2017
“Everything You Want to Know About Sales Growth but are Afraid to Ask,” Dreamforce, October 2016
“A continuing struggle for ‘Women in the Workplace,’” Bloomberg, September 30, 2016
“Ending the gender gap in workplace promotions,” Fox Business, September 28, 2016
“Why Do Women Keep Hitting the Glass Ceiling?” Bloomberg, September 30, 2015
“Megatrends: What it means for sales,” McKinsey on Marketing & Sales, August 2015
Publications
“Women in the Workplace 2021,” McKinsey & Company, September 2021
“Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector,” McKinsey & Company, February 2021
“The Questions Companies Should Ask Themselves to Prepare for a New Era of Business,” Fortune, November 2019
Technology and Sales:
“Ten trends redefining enterprise IT infrastructure,” McKinsey & Company, November 2017
“What enterprise-technology companies must know to drive digital-sales growth,” McKinsey & Company, October 2017
“Unlocking the power of data in sales,” McKinsey & Company, December 2016
“What sales executives need to get right for digital success,” McKinsey & Company, August 2016
“The sales secrets of high-growth companies,” McKinsey & Company, May 2016
“Is Your Sales Organization Ready for the Digital Revolution?,” Quotable, May 2016
Women in the Workplace:
“Weighing the pandemic’s impact on working moms,” ABC News, May 2021
“Creating a postpandemic recovery for women in the workplace,” McKinsey & Company, March 2021
“For mothers in the workplace, a year (and counting) like no other,” McKinsey & Company, May 2021
“COVID-19’s impact on Asian American workers: Six key insights,” McKinsey & Company, May 2021
“Women in the Workplace 2020,” McKinsey & Company, September 2020
“Ten things to know about gender equality,” McKinsey Global Institute, September 2020
“Confronting the early-career gender gap,” McKinsey Quarterly, January 2020
“Women in the Workplace 2019,” McKinsey & Company, October 2019
“The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation,” McKinsey Global Institute, June 2019
“One is the loneliest number,” McKinsey Quarterly, January 2019
"How to overcome the isolation of women in the workplace," Wall Street Journal, October 23, 2018
"Women in the Workplace 2018," LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, October 2018
“Still looking for room at the top: Ten years of research on women in the workplace,” McKinsey Quarterly, March 2018
“How companies can guard against gender fatigue,” McKinsey Quarterly, February 2018
“Delivering through diversity,” McKinsey & Company, January 2018
“Time for a new gender equality playbook,” McKinsey Quarterly, February 2017
“Women in the Workplace 2016,” a study undertaken by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org, September 2016
“What It Will Take to Make the Tech Industry More Diverse,” Harvard Business Review, March 15, 2016
“Breaking down the gender challenge,” McKinsey Quarterly, March 2016
“Women in the Workplace,” a study undertaken by McKinsey and LeanIn.Org, September 2015
“Fostering women leaders: A fitness test for your top team,” McKinsey Quarterly, January 2015
Education
Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs
MA, economic policy
Columbia University (Barnard)
BA, history and political science