McKinsey

Organization

A global management consulting firm mentioned as one of the sponsors of events at Davos.


First Mentioned

1/15/2026, 6:37:57 AM

Last Updated

1/17/2026, 5:57:39 AM

Research Retrieved

1/15/2026, 6:38:45 AM

Summary

McKinsey & Company is a premier American multinational management consulting firm founded in 1926 by James O. McKinsey. As the oldest and largest of the 'MBB' (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) consultancies, it provides strategic, financial, and operational advice to corporations, governments, and institutions. The firm is renowned for its highly selective recruitment from top business schools and its influential research arms, including the McKinsey Global Institute and the McKinsey Quarterly. Despite its prestige, McKinsey has faced significant legal and ethical challenges, including a $600 million settlement in 2021 for its role in the opioid crisis and investigations into its work with authoritarian regimes and fossil fuel producers. In the mid-2020s, the firm has pivoted toward the AI Transformation, with Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels leading an internal workforce shift that aims for a one-to-one ratio of AI agents to human employees.

Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Founded

    1926

  • Founder

    James O. McKinsey

  • Industry

    Management Consulting

  • Headquarters

    United States

  • Research Arm

    McKinsey Global Institute

  • Employee Count

    10,001+ employees

  • Key Publication

    McKinsey Quarterly

  • Opioid Settlement Amount

    600 million USD

  • Selective Hiring Sources

    Top-ranked business schools, PhD candidates, and specialized experts

Timeline
  • James O. McKinsey introduces budget planning as a management framework in his book 'Budgetary Control'. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1922-01-01

  • McKinsey & Company is founded by James O. McKinsey. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1926-01-01

  • The firm creates the General Survey Outline (GSO) methodology for corporate analysis. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1931-01-01

  • Under Marvin Bower, the firm begins its expansion into Europe. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1940-01-01

  • McKinsey founds the Foundation for Management Research. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1955-01-01

  • The firm begins publishing the McKinsey Quarterly business magazine. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1964-01-01

  • John L. Neuman introduces 'overhead value analysis', leading to middle management downsizing trends. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1975-01-01

  • The McKinsey Global Institute is founded to study global economic trends. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1990-01-01

  • Launch of the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility. (Source: Wikipedia)

    2020-01-01

  • McKinsey pays $600 million to settle investigations into its role in promoting OxyContin sales. (Source: Wikipedia)

    2021-02-01

  • Bob Sternfels discusses the AI Transformation and McKinsey's internal deployment of AI agents at CES 2026. (Source: Document c08935b9-87d2-439d-a5ee-c1b4d7dc4dcf)

    2026-01-01

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Founded in 1926 by James O. McKinsey, McKinsey is the oldest and largest of the "MBB" management consultancies. The firm mainly focuses on the finances and operations of their clients. Under the direction of Marvin Bower, McKinsey expanded into Europe during the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s, McKinsey's Fred Gluck—along with Boston Consulting Group's Bruce Henderson, Bill Bain at Bain & Company, and Harvard Business School's Michael Porter—initiated a program designed to transform corporate culture. A 1975 publication by McKinsey's John L. Neuman introduced the business practice of "overhead value analysis" that contributed to a downsizing trend that eliminated many jobs in middle management. McKinsey has been the subject of significant controversy and is the subject of multiple criminal investigations into its business practices. The company has been criticized for its role promoting OxyContin use during the opioid crisis in North America, its work with Enron, and its work for authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia and Russia. The criminal investigation by the US Justice Department, with a grand jury to determine charges, is into its role in the opioid crisis and obstruction of justice related to its activities in the sector. McKinsey works with some of the largest fossil fuel producing governments and companies, including to increase fossil fuel demand. McKinsey has a notoriously competitive hiring process, and is widely seen as one of the most selective employers in the world. McKinsey recruits primarily from top-ranked business schools, and was one of the first management consultancies to recruit a limited number of candidates with advanced academic degrees (e.g., PhD) as well as deep field expertise, particularly those who have demonstrated business acumen and analytical skills. McKinsey publishes a business magazine, the McKinsey Quarterly.

Web Search Results
  • McKinsey & Company - LinkedIn

    McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm. We are the trusted advisor to the world's leading businesses, governments, and institutions. We work with leading organizations across the private, public and social sectors. Our scale, scope, and knowledge allow us to address problems that no one else can. We have deep functional and industry expertise as well as breadth of geographical reach. We are passionate about taking on immense challenges that matter to our clients and, often, to the world. We work with our clients as we do with our colleagues. We build their capabilities and leadership skills at every level and every opportunity. We do this to help build internal support, get to real issues, and reach practical recommendations. We bring out the capabilities of clients to [...] McKinsey & Company (1h): When corporate and investment bankers bring real strategic agility to cost, capital, growth, and innovation, the upside is big—think a 20–30% lift in profitability. Is your organization ready to capture the full impact? Read our new report: CIB in an era of volatility, AI, and nonbank challengers. [Likes: 26, Comments: 8]; McKinsey & Company (7h): The most effective transformations move in step with daily work. A strong operating backbone, embedded early, helps organizations build momentum that lasts. See how leaders make transformation part of how they operate. [Likes: 185, Comments: 18]; McKinsey & Company (12h Edited): Shopping and commerce are about to change, fast. Agentic AI could soon anticipate needs, negotiate deals, and complete purchases on our [...] # McKinsey & Company We accelerate sustainable and inclusive growth. Business Consulting and Services • N/A • 6,903,285 followers • 10,001+ employees

  • McKinsey & Company - Wikipedia

    McKinsey & Company consultants regularly publish books, research and articles about business and management.: 51: 55 The firm spends $50–$100 million a year on research.: 54 McKinsey was one of the first organizations to fund management research, when it founded the Foundation for Management Research in 1955. The firm began publishing a business magazine, The McKinsey Quarterly, in 1964. It funds the McKinsey Global Institute, which studies global economic trends and was founded in 1990. It also launched the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility in 2020 to fund research focused on advancing inclusive growth & racial equity globally. Many consultants are contributors to the Harvard Business Review. McKinsey consultants published only two books from 1960 to 1980, then more than 50 [...] McKinsey & Company's founder, James O. McKinsey, introduced the concept of budget planning as a management framework in his fifth book Budgetary Control in 1922.: 25: 422 The firm's first client was the treasurer of Armour & Company, who, along with other early McKinsey clients, had read Budgetary Control. In 1931 McKinsey created a methodology for analyzing a company called the General Survey Outline (GSO), which was established based on ideas introduced in the 1924 book Business Administration. It was also known as the Banker's Survey, because McKinsey's clients who used it in the 1930s were predominantly banks.: 22 After the Wagner Act gave certain rights to employees to organize into unions in 1935, McKinsey started consulting corporations on employee relations. Later in the 1950s, [...] Records show that McKinsey worked for Purdue Pharma and other opioid makers in a 15-year period, from 2004 to 2019. During 2018 and 2019, McKinsey collected at least $400 million consulting pharmaceutical companies. McKinsey advised Mallinckrodt, the largest manufacturer of generic opioids, as well as Endo International for which McKinsey consulted on marketing Opana. McKinsey's consultation grew Endo into a leading generics manufacturer. McKinsey recommended "targeting and influencing" doctors who treat back pain in elderly and long-term care patients. In February 2021, McKinsey paid $600 million to settle investigations into its role in promoting sales of OxyContin and fuelling the greater opioid epidemic. In April 2022, the New York Times reported that McKinsey had frequently allowed

  • Take a step Forward - McKinsey.org

    ## Our Program At McKinsey.org, we are on a mission to share the best of McKinsey to help more people succeed. The McKinsey.org Forward program offers a 10-week learning journey delivered in a digital and virtual format. It begins with building foundational career skills through online courses, case scenarios, and interactive learning events. You will ultimately be able to develop new behaviors through ongoing reflection and practical application. At the end of the program, you’ll receive a McKinsey.org Forward digital badge and join an exclusive global network of life-long learners. ### Core Skills level Ten weeks, about 2 hours per week [...] ##### Lead Forward Webinar A live webinar with McKinsey experts to go deeper into self-leaderships skills and put learnings into practice ## Mark your growth ### Earn the McKinsey.org Forward badge Participants who complete the Core Skills level will earn a personalized digital badge, which is shareable across social media and other digital channels. ## EXPLORE MORE BASED ON YOUR LOCATION ##### Africa Register your interest ##### Asia, Australia, and New Zealand Register your interest ##### Europe Register your interest ##### Latin America Register your interest ##### Middle East & Pakistan Register your interest ##### Türkiye & Azerbaijan Register your interest ##### United States Register your interest ## Take a step Forward to advance your career [...] # Take a step Forward Register Your Interest The McKinsey.org Forward program will equip you with essential skills and practical tools, so you're all the more ready to shape your future with confidence. Forward is a free multi-week learning program designed to equip individuals at different stages of their careers – from career starters to job changers – with practical skills to succeed in the future of work, whether they are looking to reskill or advance. It focuses on essential workplace skills that are relevant and transferable across industries and roles. The program is available in more than 130 countries globally. learners completed the program and upskilled 0% of alumni recommend Forward to others 0% of alumni feel more confident in their skills 0%

  • Global management consulting | McKinsey & Company

    Global management consulting | McKinsey & Company Skip to main content Game-changing work. People-powered growth. At McKinsey, we help you think bigger, build stronger, and expand opportunity for all. CASE STUDY ## How Toshiba Tec and McKinsey are turning retail data into real-time decisions with NVIDIA Read the case study ARTICLE ###### The athlete’s mindset for digital and AI transformation EVENT ###### McKinsey and the World Economic Forum 2026 BLOG POST ###### How insurer-led care model innovation can transform healthcare ARTICLE ###### The future of risk: How global trends are reshaping risk management ##### Subscribe to the latest McKinsey Insights on the topics you care about. Or continue with WEBINAR ### World Economic Forum: A preview of Davos 2026 Register here [...] ##### Capabilities Practical experience and know-how on transforming how organizations work. ##### Tech & AI We help clients unlock the power of AI at scale, modernize technology delivery, and build new businesses to fuel growth. ## Careers ## Looking for your next move? We look for people who are energized by the same things as our clients: bold thinking, real impact, and the courage to move first. Explore Careers ## Societal impact ### Sharing our best to help more people succeed ##### McKinsey.org Skill building programs—at no cost—so nonprofits and individuals can achieve even more. ##### McKinsey.org Forward An online learning journey designed to equip individuals at different stages of their careers—from career starters to job changers—with practical skills to succeed. [...] Register here #### Sign up for McKinsey’s Davos Daily Get our limited-edition email series with curated articles, reports, and insights on the issues top of mind for global leaders at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting. TUNE IN ### The McKinsey Podcast A shortcut to clarity in a noisy world, The McKinsey Podcast dives into the ideas, issues, and innovations reshaping business, the economy, and society. Tune in to hear from McKinsey experts and thought leaders about the latest in AI breakthroughs, leadership, and more. Listen hereApple PodcastsYouTubeSpotify ## How we help clients ### Let’s turn your biggest opportunities into your next big moves. ##### Industry expertise Deep industry insights and knowledge based on 100 years of CEO counseling. ##### Capabilities

  • McKinsey & Company (@mckinseyco) • Instagram photos and videos

    Strategy, tech,. Most use AI, but only 1 in 3 scale it. Strategy, tech, and people moving together are what makes the difference.

Location Data

McKinsey & Company, 2191. Cadde, Mustafa Kemal Mahallesi, Ankara, Çankaya, Ankara, İç Anadolu Bölgesi, 06530, Türkiye

company

Coordinates: 39.9087522, 32.7549981

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