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Ed Barriball

Leads transformation programs across the public and private sectors, with expertise advising organizations that manage complex supply chains and logistics

Ed leads transformations for public and private sector organizations, with a focus on companies and government agencies that manage manufacturing, supply chains, and logistics operations. In this capacity, he advises defense and security clients along with industrial and logistics companies as they improve their operations.

Since joining McKinsey in 2012, Ed has helped unlock the potential for data analytics to inform better decision-making. He has led building new capabilities, with examples ranging from McKinsey’s initial team of data scientists and engineers focused on the public sector, to a set of analytic tools that help clients improve performance of complex supply chains while lowering cost. Ed is a leader in McKinsey’s research on supply chain risk and resilience.

Examples of Ed’s recent client work include the following:

  • building a transformation program for one of the largest logistics organizations in the world, and helping improve productivity by 20 percent
  • transforming a major defense program, limiting risk while simultaneously reducing costs, resulting in more than ten percent savings in logistics, supply chain, and maintenance
  • building an advanced analytics platform for a global airline that reduced inventory expenditures by 15 percent shortly after launch
  • leading the transformation of a national law enforcement agency, improving its mission delivery, internal operations, organizational structure, and talent management

Before joining McKinsey, Ed worked at GE Aviation and held engineering, operations, and finance roles.

Published Work

Taking the pulse of shifting supply chains,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022

Effectively implementing President Biden’s supply-chain review,” McKinsey & Company, March 2021

Risk, resilience, and rebalancing in global value chains,” McKinsey Global Institute, August 2020

Supply-chain recovery in coronavirus times—plan for now and the future,” McKinsey & Company, March 2020

A practical approach to supply-chain risk management,” McKinsey & Company, March 2019

Defense in the 21st century: How artificial intelligence might change the character of conflict,” Technology and National Security: Maintaining America’s Edge, Washington, DC: Aspen Institute, January 2019

Smarter choices: Raise asset availability and reduce operating costs,” McKinsey & Company, June 2017

Past experience

GE Aviation
Engineer

Education

Harvard University
MBA

Purdue University
BS, materials science and engineering