Rethinking Finance Inside McKinsey

Yuval Atsmon, CFO of McKinsey & Company, offers a rare look inside one of the world’s most influential strategy firms as it adapts to AI, evolving client expectations, and a changing consulting model. Drawing on decades of global advisory experience, he explains how finance can drive alignment in a partnership of 3,000 partners, why understanding should never be delegated, and how outcome-based pricing is reshaping professional services. Atsmon also discusses balancing short-term performance with long-term resilience, the changing role of AI across finance and consulting, and the leadership lessons he carried from military service to the CFO office. Throughout, he emphasizes that finance leaders create influence not simply through numbers, but by explaining the logic behind them. Overview In this episode, Jack is joined by Yuval Atsmon, the CFO of McKinsey & Company. They discuss the firm's partnership model, evolving consulting business model, and how finance supports strategy inside an organization where talent is the product. Atsmon explains why transparency, data, and contextual understanding are essential to leading change across a global partnership. The conversation also explores AI's impact on consulting, outcome-based pricing, capital allocation, talent development, and long-term planning. Along the way, Atsmon shares lessons from his international career, military service, and decades advising organizations across more than 20 countries, offering insight into how today's CFO must combine strategic judgment, operational discipline, and leadership influence. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS Stuut ai: Introducing Stuut 2.0. Revenue becomes cash, automatically: https://www.stuut.ai/demo?utm_source=... NetSuite AI is already reshaping finance. This CFO-written guide demystifies the basics and shows how to apply AI with clarity and confidence. http://www.netsuite/cfotl Video Timestamps 00:00 Opening: Why McKinsey's CFO Perspective Matters 03:10 From Law School to McKinsey 04:26 Building a Global Career Across 20+ Countries 07:11 Leadership Lessons from Working Across Cultures 09:51 Becoming a Partner in Shanghai During Economic Change 12:37 Inside McKinsey's Unique Partnership Culture 16:24 Why He Chose the CFO Role 20:35 Leading Finance Across 3,000 Partners 23:46 How McKinsey Is Reinventing Its Business Model 28:46 From Billable Hours to Outcome-Based Pricing 31:03 AI, Consulting, and the Future Economics of Professional Services 37:02 How Major Investment Decisions Get Made at McKinsey 41:18 AI's Impact on Finance and Client Work 52:40 Finance Strategic Moment: "You Can Never Delegate Understanding" 58:11 The Next 12 Months: Balancing Performance and Resilience