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When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm by Walt Bogdanich - 4* - My Review

“Nothing beckons investigative reporters more than powerful institutions that believe they are exempt from public scrutiny.”

Exposé of what happens when a company’s espoused values do not match corporate actions. McKinsey is one of the most recognized and profitable consulting firms with a worldwide reach. They hire the “best and brightest” and give them the option of declining to work with companies on moral grounds. Many of these people are idealists who want to “do good in the world.” The authors of this book have peeled back they layers of secrecy surrounding McKinsey’s clients and their past consulting work. They have found a disconnect between people on the ground (consultants) and the actions of the executives in charge, where profit has often been placed above all else.

The book examines McKinsey’s involvement in:
- Maintenance and safety in the steel industry
- 2008 financial crisis
- Immigration center cost-cutting
- Tobacco products and vaping
- Insurance companies’ payout reductions
- Baseball analytics
- Enron
- Big Pharma and the opioid crisis
- Advising authoritarian regimes: China, Saudi Arabia, Russia
- South African contracting scandals

It highlights the importance of ethical leadership, which is always important for any company, and essential for those with wide-ranging global impact. It occasionally wanders far afield from work McKinsey has done into areas where their former associates have been involved, but overall, if you have ever worked in management consulting, it is definitely worth reading.

PBT Comments: This book is an example of failure in leadership.

I have this waiting for me on Libby. I didn't want to read non-fiction this month, but as soon as I saw this title, I knew I had to make an exception. I'm glad you liked it.

NancyJ wrote: "I have this waiting for me on Libby. I didn't want to read non-fiction this month, but as soon as I saw this title, I knew I had to make an exception. I'm glad you liked it."
Thanks, Nancy. I worked in management consulting for a much smaller company.