Author Talks: How Stoic wisdom can guide modern ambition
In this edition of Author Talks, McKinsey Global Publishing’s Eric Quiñones chats with Robert Rosenkranz, chairman of Delphi Capital Management, about The Stoic Capitalist: Advice for the Exceptionally Ambitious (Bloomsbury Business/Bloomsbury Publishing, May 2025). Rosenkranz explains how adopting Stoic principles of a well-lived life can benefit people both professionally and personally. He points to the Stoics’ emphases on being guided by reason rather than emotion, prioritizing time as a precious…
Talent, tech, and team: The formula for medtech R&D success
Medical technology companies’ R&D functions are contending with ever-increasing costs and complexity: R&D spending is increasing at 10 percent a year, the average time to market is now more than four years, and after a busy 2024 for industry M&As, 2025 is off to an even busier start, according to McKinsey analysis. Meanwhile, digital technology—for new products and for accelerating product development—has become essential, even for companies with little track…
Powering the energy transition’s motor: Circular rare earth elements
Rare earth elements (REEs) have emerged as essential building blocks for enabling the energy transition. This is particularly true for specific REEs needed to make REE magnets, which are used in e-motors and wind turbines. With an expected surge in demand for REEs in the next decade facing a mined and refined supply that is highly concentrated in China, global and local supply chains will need to navigate significant geopolitical…
How buyers can successfully navigate integrating a carve-out
It’s hard enough to successfully integrate organizations after an M&A. For organizations on the buy-side of a carve-out, the deal comes with added complication: integrating new assets while also managing engaged sellers’ often-opposing interests (see sidebar, “What exactly does ‘buy-side carve-out’ mean?”). Day one and business continuity risks are high in these deals, making it crucial to work out a profusion of planning and resourcing details.McKinsey’s proprietary research shows that…
Recovering from crisis: Interview with Novelis Europe’s Emilio Braghi
Crises have a way of revealing both weaknesses and strengths. For Novelis, a global producer of flat-rolled aluminum products and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum, crisis came in June 2024 when a flood swept through Sierre, Switzerland, one of Novelis’s largest production sites in Europe. The extreme flooding caused the company to declare force majeure—that is, the company wasn’t able to fulfill its contractual obligations due to…