Clockwise from top left: Anna Mattsson, Alex Devereson, Maria Albonico, and Holger Hürtgen
McKinsey
Four McKinsey & Co partners sit down around a table. One wears Chanel jewelry and a pantsuit; another a casual, billowy shirt. Several hands sport Oura rings, silently tracking their wearers' heart rates.There's no punchline here — only a massive promotion. When we spoke in late June, this quartet was a week away from joining the top tier of McKinsey as senior partners or distinguished partners. It's a level few people make it to: While McKinsey has more than 2,500 partners globally and typically adds around 200 partners every year, it added roughly 60 senior partners this year.Consulting partners can be guarded and corporate when discussing their firms. But seated around the table in a stylish hotel room, the four McKinsey partners were relaxed, jokey, and interested in hearing about each other's career journeys.Our conversation covered the past and future of partnership: how they got to this point in their careers and how partnership is changing as AI shakes up the consulting world.But first: the celebrationPartners typically learn about their elections (senior partners are elected by vote) by receiving a call from a leader in their practice. Anna Mattsson received hers late at night. Holger Hürtgen's leader, a long-time friend, teasingly stretched out the conversation before sharing the news.Alex Devereson's call began with one word: "Congratulations.""When I got the call, I was trying to bundle my son out the door to a swimming class," Devereson, who serves pharmaceutical, vaccine, and biotech companies, recalled. His celebration was low-key: swimming, followed by a trip to the park.
