At a 2024 gathering of senior McKinsey partners in Copenhagen, former chief financial officer Eric Kutcher put on a baseball catcher's mask and invited colleagues to hurl stress balls at him. By his own admission Kutcher had "failed miserably" at explaining his actions during the post-Covid period of weak financial performance and divisive lay-offs. He hoped the stunt would ease tensions and act as a reset — both for the firm and himself.
Now Kutcher is the presumptive leading candidate to succeed Bob Sternfels as global managing partner. Having switched in mid-2024 to heading the firm's business in North America, where a much-improved financial performance has eclipsed some other regions, he manages roughly half of McKinsey's business. "It would be hard for someone else to step forward from a region that is not growing as fast," said a former executive familiar with the internal dynamics.
The election follows papal conclave rules: 760 senior partners can select anyone, with the top seven advancing to a second ballot that narrows the field to three. If no candidate reaches 50 per cent, the partnership will pick the winner in person at their February meeting in Sydney. Kutcher's candidacy raises concerns about continuity with Sternfels' centralised decision-making approach.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing