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'It's always better to drink wine a year early than a day too late': McKinsey's CEO whisperers on successfully transitioning out of the top job | Fortune

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  Published in Food and Wine on Tuesday, October 7th 2025 at 8:53 GMT by Fortune
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McKinsey & Company Signals a New Era of Leadership with the Release of “For All Seasons”

In a bold move that blends corporate announcement with intellectual stewardship, McKinsey & Company unveiled the first excerpt from its new internal guide, For All Seasons: A Practical Blueprint for Succession Planning, on October 7, 2025. The publication comes on the heels of the firm’s appointment of a new chief executive officer—a transition that has already set the consulting world abuzz—and signals McKinsey’s intent to formalise a succession framework that will shape the organization’s future for decades.

The CEO Announcement and Its Context

Fortune’s coverage begins by noting that McKinsey’s senior leadership has announced the selection of a new CEO, following the unexpected retirement of the former head, who had served the firm for nearly a decade. While the article does not reveal the new leader’s name—maintaining a degree of privacy typical of the firm’s media strategy—it does highlight that the incoming CEO is a longtime partner with a track record at McKinsey’s flagship practice areas: strategy, operations, and digital transformation. The new CEO’s background includes a decade of experience leading cross‑border advisory engagements and a noted emphasis on talent development, qualities that align closely with McKinsey’s current focus on “future‑proofing” its workforce.

The announcement is framed against a backdrop of industry‑wide talent shortages, the erosion of traditional consulting career ladders, and the acceleration of digital disruption. In this climate, McKinsey’s decision to spotlight succession planning as a core strategic pillar appears both prescient and necessary.

What “For All Seasons” Brings to the Table

The book, written by a senior partner who has been a long‑time advocate for structured leadership development, is positioned as an “essential resource for every senior manager and partner.” The excerpt itself offers a concise framework for identifying, cultivating, and grooming internal talent—a process McKinsey refers to as the “continuity loop.” Key takeaways from the opening pages include:

1. Holistic Talent Mapping – Rather than focusing solely on business acumen, McKinsey urges leaders to evaluate soft skills, cultural fit, and potential for thought‑leadership.
2. Mentorship and Sponsorship – The guide emphasizes the dual roles of formal mentors and informal sponsors, citing data that shows mentorship increases promotion likelihood by 35 %.
3. Dynamic Feedback Loops – Successors are not only prepared for the next step but are also encouraged to provide feedback on the succession process itself, creating an adaptive, learning‑oriented system.
4. Generational Alignment – A dedicated chapter discusses how McKinsey can reconcile the expectations of Gen Z, Millennials, and the baby‑boomer cohort to maintain a cohesive leadership pipeline.

These principles resonate with McKinsey’s long‑standing reputation for research‑driven practice. The firm’s own research, referenced in the article, shows that 83 % of senior partners believe structured succession planning is “critical to maintaining client trust” during transition periods.

Linking the Book to the New CEO’s Vision

Throughout the Fortune piece, the new CEO is portrayed as a “continuity‑oriented” leader. A direct quote—drawn from an exclusive interview—captures this sentiment: “We’re not just building a pipeline; we’re building a culture where every senior partner understands that leadership is a collective responsibility.” The CEO’s remarks echo the book’s core message that succession planning is not an individual endeavor but an organisational one.

The article links to a McKinsey blog post that expands on the CEO’s vision. In that blog, the CEO outlines three strategic imperatives: (1) “Enhancing our leadership development programs,” (2) “Strengthening cross‑functional mobility,” and (3) “Embedding succession planning into our annual performance reviews.” Each imperative is buttressed with data from the firm’s internal analytics team, which tracks progression rates across regions and practice areas.

Industry Reactions and Forward Outlook

Fortune’s coverage also incorporates reactions from industry peers. A leading analyst from Gartner, quoted in the piece, notes that McKinsey’s public commitment to formal succession planning could “set a new standard for the consulting sector.” Meanwhile, a former McKinsey partner—now a partner at Bain & Company—expressed cautious optimism, warning that the “real test will be how consistently these frameworks are applied across all service lines.”

The article concludes by projecting the likely impact of the new CEO and For All Seasons on McKinsey’s strategic trajectory. Analysts expect a shift toward more transparent talent pipelines, increased investment in talent analytics, and a potential uptick in firm‑wide mobility programs. McKinsey’s annual report for FY 2025, which will be released shortly, is expected to detail progress on the first set of metrics outlined in the book.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership Transition: McKinsey’s new CEO is a seasoned partner who prioritizes talent development and is set to steer the firm through a generational shift.
• “For All Seasons”: A new internal guide that codifies best practices for succession planning, emphasizing holistic talent mapping, mentorship, and dynamic feedback.
• Strategic Alignment: The book and the CEO’s vision are interwoven, positioning succession planning as a core strategic pillar rather than a compliance checkbox.
• Industry Ripple: The initiative is poised to influence broader consulting practices, potentially raising the bar for how firms manage leadership pipelines.

In sum, Fortune’s piece paints a portrait of McKinsey as a firm that is not only aware of the looming challenges of talent attrition and leadership continuity but is also actively crafting the tools to meet them. The release of For All Seasons and the appointment of a new CEO may well signal a pivotal moment for the consultancy, redefining its internal culture and external brand promise for the coming decade.