Countdown to Davos, workplace health interventions, and more

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The Weekend Read

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Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Becca Coggins, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms

Welcome to the latest edition of The Weekend Read. We hope you find our perspectives useful. Let us know what you think at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Becca_Coggins@McKinsey.com.

—Alex and Becca

As we kick off the new year, explore fresh insights on Davos 2026, workplace health interventions, location-based entertainment, and more.

Photo of buildings with mountains in the background

Ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, McKinsey senior leaders Solveigh Hieronimus, Eric Kutcher, Tunde Olanrewaju, Alex Panas, and Lucy Pérez share the key issues and priorities for this year’s meeting.

Watch the video

A video collage features a diverse array of people engaged in various professions and daily activities, including healthcare, manufacturing, education, technology, sports, and caregiving. The video is comprised of two mosaic scenes, each beginning in black and white and transitioning to color, thereby highlighting the message of enhancing workplace health.

Employers understand the value of employee health and well-being, but many don’t know where to start. Drawing on evidence from 115 workplace interventions, McKinsey Health Institute’s Barbara Jeffery, Jacqueline Brassey, Lucy Pérez, and Darshini Mahadevia explain how organizations can move from potential improvement to practical impact.

The practical path forward

An image linking to the web page “When IP goes IRL”

As consumers increasingly seek memorable in-person experiences, brands and intellectual property holders are looking for opportunities to engage with consumers in more experiential ways. From pop-ups to regional attractions, smaller-scaled experiential formats could deepen engagement and unlock new opportunities—without the massive investments of traditional theme parks, write Alex Gersovitz, Bo Finneman, Kabir Ahuja, and Matthew Straus.

Discover immersive experiences

The Zeeland Bridge at an amazing blue hour

Leadership, organizational change, technological innovation, and geopolitical upheaval are among the themes The McKinsey Podcast explored in 2025. Here are some of the highlights from the year’s most compelling conversations with McKinsey leaders.

Ready to unwind?

Young Global Leaders on Davos 2026

Young Global Leaders on Davos 2026

As global leaders convene in Davos in January 2026, current members and alumni of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders highlight the pressing issues they believe deserve more focus—beyond the usual business topics.

Look beyond the headlines

Futuristic Concept: Handsome Stylish Japanese Businessman in Glasses Reading Notebook and Watching News on Augmented Reality Screen while Sitting in a Autonomous Self-Driving Zero-Emissions Car.

The automotive software and electronics market through 2035

Despite challenges such as advanced autonomous driving delays, our latest research reveals significant growth areas—some powered by AI—in the automotive software and electronics market through 2035.

Drive into the future

3D rendering of rapidly flowing particle data

Harnessing the power of gen AI in private markets

Investors are looking for data and tools to accelerate decades-old processes. But today’s obvious answer could become tomorrow’s cautionary tale.

Adopt a balanced approach

—Edited by Joyce Yoo, editor, New York

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