
Bob Sternfels
Leader of McKinsey, who provides insights into how large enterprises are adopting AI, the challenges they face (CFO vs. CIO dilemma), and the internal workforce transformation at McKinsey itself.
First Mentioned
1/15/2026, 6:37:57 AM
Last Updated
1/15/2026, 6:38:42 AM
Research Retrieved
1/15/2026, 6:38:42 AM
Summary
Bob Sternfels is the 13th global managing partner of McKinsey & Company, a position he has held since July 2021. An American businessman and former Rhodes Scholar, Sternfels joined the firm in 1994 and has since led various practices, including advanced analytics, operations, and private equity. In recent years, particularly at CES 2026, he has emerged as a prominent voice on the AI Transformation, advocating for a shift toward Physical AI and the integration of AI agents within corporate structures. Under his leadership, McKinsey is undergoing a significant workforce transformation, aiming for a one-to-one ratio of AI agents to human employees to address the evolving demands of the global market and the resulting job market disruption.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Awards
Rhodes Scholarship
Position
Global Managing Partner
Education
Stanford University (BA in History and Economics); Worcester College, Oxford (MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)
Birthplace
Lodi, California, U.S.
Nationality
American
Organization
McKinsey & Company
Personal Interest
Private pilot
Workforce Ratio Goal
1:1 ratio of AI agents to human employees
Timeline
- Bob Sternfels joined McKinsey & Company in the San Francisco office after graduating from Oxford University. (Source: Wikipedia)
1994-01-01
- Sternfels oversaw the launch of McKinsey's Sustainability Practice. (Source: Web Search (Congress.gov))
2021-04-01
- Sternfels began his tenure as the 13th global managing partner of McKinsey & Company. (Source: Wikipedia)
2021-07-01
- Participated in a CES 2026 panel in Las Vegas, discussing the AI Transformation and McKinsey's '25 squared' approach to AI agents. (Source: Web Search (Times of India))
2026-01-11
- Interviewed by Harvard Business Review regarding McKinsey's centennial and organizational transformation for the AI era. (Source: Web Search (HBR))
2026-01-15
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaBob Sternfels
Robert Sternfels is an American businessman who is the global managing partner of McKinsey & Company since July 2021.
Web Search Results
- Bob Sternfels - Wikipedia
Robert Sternfels is an American businessman who is the global managing partner of McKinsey & Company since July 2021. ## Early life and education [edit] After growing up in Lodi, California in San Joaquin County, Sternfels studied history and economics at Stanford University, where he was a member of the NCAA Division I varsity water polo team. He went on to further study at Worcester College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar. While originally intending to read international law, he ended up studying towards a Master's degree in philosophy, politics and economics. ## Career [edit] [...] Jump to content Search ## Contents (Top) 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 References 4 External links # Bob Sternfels Tiếng Việt Edit links Article Talk Read Edit View history Tools Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item Appearance From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia American businessman | Bob Sternfels | | Sternfels at the 2023 World Economic Forum | | Born | Lodi, California, U.S. | | Education | Stanford University (BA) Worcester College, Oxford (MA) | | Occupation | Businessman | [...] ## Career [edit] Sternfels joined McKinsey upon graduating from Oxford University in 1994. At the time of his election to managing partner in 2021, he led the firm's advanced analytics practice and was based in the firm's San Francisco office. He had previously led McKinsey's operations practice in the US and its private equity practice globally. He is a board member of QuestBridge, sits on the advisory board of USA Water Polo and is a trustee of the Rhodes Trust. He has also served as the treasurer of The American Oxonian. ## References [edit]
- Bob Sternfels - Business Roundtable
# Bob Sternfels ## Global Managing Partner McKinsey & Company Bob Sternfels, an innovator who has led our industry and functional practices, is the 13th global managing partner of McKinsey & Company. He is passionate about accelerating our firm’s rate of innovation, diversifying our talent profiles, and ensuring that our partnership model continues to thrive as we scale. [...] Bob is a native Californian. In 1994, he joined the firm in San Francisco, spent six years with McKinsey in Johannesburg, and has worked with colleagues in nearly all of our offices around the world. As our global managing partner, Bob chairs our elected board of directors, known as the Shareholders Council, and is a member of the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility advisory council and a sponsor of our Women in the Workplace research. [...] Bob is active in key business institutions and involved with several global initiatives related to the improvement of business and society. He is a member of the Business Roundtable, the Asia Business Council, the Fortune CEO Initiative, the New York Jobs CEO Council, and Focus Capital on the Long Term (FCLT), of which McKinsey is a founding member. He has spoken at events hosted by the World Economic Forum, Bloomberg, and several other leading organizations. Educated at Stanford University and the University of Oxford, Bob serves on the board of the nonprofit QuestBridge, on the advisory board of USA Water Polo, and as a trustee of the Rhodes Trust. He is also an enthusiastic private pilot. Terms
- [PDF] Bob Sternfels | Congress.gov
Bob Sternfels Global Managing Partner, Bay Area Bob serves as the global managing partner of McKinsey & Company ABOUT BOB Bob Sternfels, an innovator who has led our industry and functional practices, is the 13th global managing partner of McKinsey & Company. He is passionate about accelerating our firm’s rate of innovation, diversifying our talent profiles, and ensuring that our partnership model continues to thrive as we scale. As a former leader of our Operations Practice and Private Equity & Principal Investors Practice globally, Bob led McKinsey’s client capabilities globally to ensure that we continue to meet the changing needs of our clients around the world. This work significantly expanded our firm’s capabilities in several key areas, such as digital, advanced analytics, [...] of business and society. He is a founding member and chair of the African Leadership Group and a member of the Business Roundtable, Asia Business Council, Fortune CEO Initiative, New York Jobs CEO Council, Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board, Trilateral Commission, and the board of Focus Capital on the Long Term (FCLT), of which McKinsey is a founding member. He has spoken at events hosted by the World Economic Forum, Bloomberg, and several other leading organizations. Educated at Stanford University and the University of Oxford, Bob serves in a personal capacity on the board of the nonprofit QuestBridge, on the advisory board of USA Water Polo, and as a trustee of the Rhodes Trust. He is also an enthusiastic private pilot. [...] in several key areas, such as digital, advanced analytics, implementation, transformation, and sustainability, including the April 2021 launch of our Sustainability Practice. Bob is a native Californian. In 1994, he joined the firm in San Francisco, spent six years with McKinsey in Johannesburg, and has worked with colleagues in nearly all of our offices around the world. As our global managing partner, Bob chairs our elected board of directors, known as the Shareholders Council, and is a member of the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility advisory council and a sponsor of our Women in the Workplace research. Bob is active in key business institutions and involved with several global initiatives related to the improvement of business and society. He is a founding member and chair
- “We Want to Make Ourselves Better” - Harvard Business Review
Since becoming McKinsey & Company’s global managing partner in 2021, Bob Sternfels has had to navigate a series of thorny challenges. He has taken steps to restore the consulting firm’s reputation after several scandals, most notably its role in the U.S. opioid crisis. He’s trying to tighten the rules on client selection and governance without alienating the firm’s partners. And to set McKinsey up for the AI era, he and his partners are driving an organizational transformation to focus less on traditional consulting services and more on delivering outcomes. Sternfels, who joined McKinsey as an associate 32 years ago, spoke with HBR editor at large Adi Ignatius about how these challenges are reshaping McKinsey as it celebrates its centennial. Here are edited excerpts from that
- McKinsey boss Bob Sternfels breaks down how AI is changing ...
McKinsey is experiencing a workforce transformation driven by AI, with its top boss revealing that the consulting giant now employs 25,000 AI agents alongside 40,000 human employees—and expects those numbers to match by year's end.Bob Sternfels, McKinsey's global managing partner, shared these insights during a Consumer Electronics Show appearance in Las Vegas, outlining what he calls the "25 squared" approach. Client-facing roles—the consultants who work directly with clients—are growing by 25%. Meanwhile, non-client-facing positions have shrunk by roughly the same percentage, even as output from those roles increased 10%."Our model has always been synonymous that growth only occurs with total head count growth. Now it's actually splitting," Sternfels explained. The firm can now expand [...] Jensen Huang Deepinder Goyal Mark Zuckerberg # McKinsey boss Bob Sternfels breaks down how AI is changing consulting jobs: Non-client-facing roles are shrinking, and jobs that are growing are… TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jan 11, 2026, 10:32 IST Comments Share AA Text Size Small Medium Large McKinsey is rapidly integrating AI, now employing 25,000 AI agents alongside 40,000 humans, with parity expected soon. This "25 squared" approach sees client-facing roles grow 25% while backend positions shrink, boosting output. AI saves millions of hours annually on routine tasks, allowing consultants to focus on complex challenges and unique human skills like judgment and creativity. [...] Edition IN IN US English English हिन्दी मराठी ಕನ್ನಡ தமிழ் বাংলা മലയാളം తెలుగు ગુજરાતી Sign In Today's ePaper News Technology News Tech News McKinsey boss Bob Sternfels breaks down how AI is changing consulting jobs: Non-client-facing roles are shrinking, and jobs that are growing are… NYT Connections Hints Jeff Bezos Wordle Today Clues Nvidia Sam Altman CES 2026 Mustafa Suleyman Jensen Huang Deepinder Goyal Mark Zuckerberg NYT Connections Hints Jeff Bezos Wordle Today Clues Nvidia Sam Altman CES 2026 Mustafa Suleyman Jensen Huang Deepinder Goyal Mark Zuckerberg NYT Connections Hints Jeff Bezos Wordle Today Clues Nvidia Sam Altman CES 2026 Mustafa Suleyman Jensen Huang Deepinder Goyal Mark Zuckerberg
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