This is a profile image of Celia Huber

Celia Huber

Senior Partner

Leads the North American Board Services practice area and advises organizations on strategies to help them thrive within the context of global industry change and the evolving role of the board.

Over the course of more than 25 years, Celia’s client service has spanned healthcare, insurance, benefits, and financial institutions—including publicly traded, mutual, not-for-profit, and public-sector organizations.

Celia drives major strategy-development initiatives by creating growth strategies in the consumer, B2B, and group markets; designing international market-entry strategies; improving the financial performance of struggling business units; redefining product-distribution channels; and applying a deep understanding of consumer insights to drive new-product penetration and improved customer experience. Many of these growth strategies have included due diligence on key capabilities and technologies, merger management, and the creation of innovative partnerships.

Celia leads McKinsey’s board-services work in North America, with a focus on governance, diversity, inclusion, and the evolving role of the board. She conducts research, is a frequent speaker, and has created developmental training programs on this topic.

As a core faculty member for McKinsey’s leadership forums, Celia brings actionable solutions to CEOs and their direct reports. She also leads the firm’s West Coast healthcare CEO roundtable, convening 25 CEOs quarterly to discuss industry issues.

Outside her client work, Celia is an Executive Committee member of the Board of Directors for the California Business Roundtable. She is an active board member of CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy) and part of its governance subcommittee.

Published Work

The board’s role in building resilience,” McKinsey & Company, December 2022

Five ways to increase your board’s long-term impact,” McKinsey & Company, July 2022

The role of the board in preparing for extraordinary risk,” McKinsey & Company, March 2022

The postpandemic board agenda: Redefining corporate resilience,” McKinsey & Company, August 2021

Ron O’Hanley of State Street on corporate resilience and ESG,” McKinsey & Company, July 2021

How boards can help digital transformations,” McKinsey & Company, June 2021

The eight trends that will define 2021–and beyond,” McKinsey & Company, June 2021

How boards have risen to the COVID-19 challenge, and what’s next,” McKinsey & Company, April 2021

The board’s role during crisis and beyond,” McKinsey & Company, February 2021

Laxman Narasimhan, CEO of Reckitt Benckiser, on corporate purpose during a crisis,” McKinsey & Company, November 2020

The board’s role in embedding corporate purpose: Five actions directors can take today,” McKinsey & Company, November 2020

Boards in the time of coronavirus,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020

Boards of directors in the tunnel of the coronavirus crisis,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020

Corporate diversity: If you don’t measure it, it won’t get done,” McKinsey & Company, March 2020

How workers’ compensation carriers can build better models of care in the US,” McKinsey & Company, March 2020

Building gender diversity on boards,” McKinsey & Company, September 2018

Common excuses for not appointing women to boards—and what to do about them,” McKinsey & Company, June 2018

How to accelerate gender diversity on boards,” McKinsey Quarterly, July 2017

Women in healthcare: Of leaky pipes and sluggish middles,” McKinsey & Company, February 2016 

Education

Stanford University
MBA

University of Texas at Austin
BBA, business, finance