McKinsey and the World Economic Forum 2025

LinkedIn X Facebook

Every year, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting brings together top decision-makers from government, business, and civil society to address major global issues and priorities for the year ahead. At the Annual Meeting 2025, which took place in Davos, Switzerland, from January 20 to January 24, leaders from around the globe convened under the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” centered around the following priorities:

Rebuilding trust
Reimagining growth
Safeguarding the planet
Industries in the intelligent age
Investing in people

As a strategic partner to the World Economic Forum, McKinsey and our Davos 2025 participants engaged in constructive, forward-looking dialogues to identify impact-oriented solutions that will contribute to a better world, focused on sustainable inclusive growth.

McKinsey Priority Themes

AI transformation | Resilience and geopolitics | Energy transition
Women’s health | 21^st century leadership | Space

Davos 2025: Reflections

Video Player is loading.

Current Time 0:00

Duration 0:00

Loaded: 0%

Stream Type LIVE

Remaining Time 0:00

While Davos 2025 is firmly in the rear-view mirror, the themes and priorities that emerged there are now being put into practice across countries, industries, and companies. McKinsey’s senior leaders Axel Karlsson, Eric Kutcher, Clarisse Magnin, Asutosh Padhi, and Yuito Yamada reflect on how Davos 2025 is shaping this year.

Related insights

An image of a person wearing a raincoat holding an umbrella. The person has an outstretched hand as if trying to check if it’s raining. Overhead, cutout images of the world’s continents are arranged in a jumbled, overlapping manner and are shaded to look like storm clouds. Bolts of lightning emit from the group of continents.

Interactive

A proactive approach to geopolitics

January 21, 2025 -

As the 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum kicks off in Davos, Switzerland, we explore how leaders can respond to geopolitical risks while seizing opportunities for growth.

On a bright winter day, Davos, Switzerland can be seen from above, with a snowy landscape and the Schtzalp mountain in the distance.

Podcast - The McKinsey Podcast

Special episode: Debriefing Davos 2025

January 30, 2025 -

An insider’s look at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum: The mountaintop was buzzing as leaders confront a world in flux.

A 3d pattern of deep blue, red, and green hues undulates across the screen, resembling an abstract glass wave. The wave is set against a deep blue background, which adds to the drama.

Report

Resilience pulse check: Harnessing collaboration to navigate a volatile world

January 21, 2025 -

We continue to learn that we operate in a world in which we must expect the unexpected, yet companies feel unprepared to face rising threats and uncertainties.

As the sun rises behind them, four Indian women dressed in traditional attire stroll along the crest of a desert dune, casting their figures in silhouette.

Report - McKinsey Health Institute

Blueprint to close the women’s health gap: How to improve lives and economies for all

January 21, 2025 -

Women experience substantial health inequities and poor health outcomes worldwide, and the global economy suffers as a result.

From a space perspective, Europe can be seen at night with clusters of golden dots representing city lights. Additionally, golden lines emanate from these urban regions, indicating the presence of technology and communication.

Report

Europe in the intelligent age: From ideas to action

January 17, 2025 -

Strategic focus and private sector–led lighthouse initiatives can change the Old Continent’s trajectory—if the public sector radically changes the investment environment with a handful of priority initiatives.

A close-up image captures the back of a gray and white tern in flight against a dark blue backdrop. The bird's wings are outstretched, with the ends of its long tail feathers turning upward as they catch the air.

Report - McKinsey Health Institute

Thriving workplaces: How employers can improve productivity and change lives

January 16, 2025 -

Investing in holistic employee health can create almost $12 trillion in global economic value.

A silhouetted child soars through the air on a swing set. The setting sun casts a warm glow on the scene, creating a quiet and nostalgic atmosphere.

Report - MGI Research

Dependency and depopulation? Confronting the consequences of a new demographic reality

January 15, 2025 -

Exploring the implications of a new demographic reality brought on by falling fertility and increasing longevity.

An Olympic runner crossing the finish line, the red ribbon fluttering behind him.

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Achieving growth: Putting leadership mindsets and behaviors into action

January 13, 2025 -

Growth requires the right mix of outlook, strategy, and capabilities. Top leaders achieve their goals by turning five mindsets into action.

Two silhouettes of human heads face each other against a dark background. Gears of various sizes connect between the two heads, symbolizing the exchange of ideas and collaboration.

Article

The art of 21st-century leadership: From succession planning to building a leadership factory

October 22, 2024 -

Complicated times demand great leaders. Here’s an overview of traits and practices required to succeed as a leader today and a look at the factory model that can help aspiring managers ascend.

An isometric illustration of people within an organization working with data. They are utilizing various tools of artificial intelligence.

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

Charting a path to the data- and AI-driven enterprise of 2030

September 5, 2024 -

Generative AI has increased the focus on data, putting pressure on companies to make substantive shifts to build a truly data-based organization.

Image of a spinning sphere with dark hexagon shapes pealing off and floating away revealing a green sphere underneath.

Report - MGI Research

The hard stuff: Navigating the physical realities of the energy transition

August 14, 2024 -

The energy transition is a physical transformation in its early stages. What challenges lie ahead?

An illustration of a planet using delicate line work. Several rings encircle the planet, and a retinue of moons align in a row to dominate the center of the image.

Report

Space: The $1.8 trillion opportunity for global economic growth

April 8, 2024 -

As the space economy expands, it could create value for multiple industries and solve many of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Featured content from our collaborations

3D rendering of a network of nodes using a red sphere connecting with silver spheres on a grey background

Leadership for our times: Build on the past to create a better future

Young Global Leaders showcase how the timeless principles of leadership can be adapted to the specific challenges of our times to build a fairer, kinder and more inclusive world—and this is as important now as ever.

The global cooperation barometer 2025

Global cooperation is at a crossroads. While overall collaboration has flatlined, driven by heightened geopolitical tensions and instability, positive momentum in areas of climate and nature, innovation and technology, and health and wellness offer hope.

Report

Circularity in the built environment: Unlocking opportunities in retrofits

This report highlights the untapped potential of circular practices in retrofitting to decarbonize the built environment and deliver substantial economic benefits. It identifies key themes for stakeholders and emphasizes the importance of adopting a systems approach to achieve large-scale impact.

Spotlight on nature: Case studies for business transformation towards a nature-positive future

CEOs are increasingly recognizing the importance of nature for business, people and the planet. This report features seven case studies from companies that have begun transforming their businesses towards a nature-positive future.

The role of corporate philanthropy in accelerating climate and nature transitions

This white paper explores the role corporate philanthropy can play in accelerating climate and nature transitions, acting as a bridge between public and private sectors and leveraging the knowledge of corporate affiliates towards positive societal impact.

Circularity in energy-efficiency retrofits: Why it’s time to act

With the move to a circular ecosystem, four initial actions could help materials and parts manufacturers capture some of the value of the growing energy-efficiency retrofit market.

Securing minerals for the energy transition: Unlocking the value chain through policy, investment and innovation

Despite recent progress in boosting the production of certain materials, supply shortages are still anticipated for many of the critical minerals and metals necessary to produce the lower-carbon technologies that are key to the energy transition.

Biodiversity credits: Demystifying metrics for nature markets

This paper outlines key decisions that nature-positive financiers, credit standard-setters and project developers must make in navigating nature and biodiversity metrics.

Unlocking the full potential of digital transformation through technology and talent

To reap the real rewards of a digital transformation, a holistic approach is called for, one in which organizations transform by integrating technology and talent for optimum results.

Women are second-class citizens when it comes to health. Closing the gap could be worth $1 trillion

A new report spells out the degree to which women are disadvantaged in global healthcare – and the economic benefits of closing that gap.

Healthy workforces initiative

The Centre for Health and Healthcare is working in collaboration with the McKinsey Health institute (MHI) to accelerate action on holistic health of employees, their families and their communities worldwide.

The McKinsey Health Institute and the World Economic Forum team up to support healthier workforces worldwide

The McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) announced a formal collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s (the Forum) Healthy Workforces initiative. Together these leading global institutions commit to achieving healthier, happier workforces around the globe and improving the holistic health of employees, their families, and their communities.

We have collaborated with WEF on key knowledge topics

FT Live: The Davos Daily Show

Video Player is loading.

Current Time 0:00

Duration 0:00

Loaded: 0%

Stream Type LIVE

Remaining Time 0:00

McKinsey senior partners Axel Karlsson, Asutosh Padhi, and Rodney Zemmel shared with the Financial Times major themes discussed at Davos 2025.

Davos 2025: Looking ahead

Video Player is loading.

Current Time 0:00

Duration 0:00

Loaded: 0%

Stream Type LIVE

Remaining Time 0:00

McKinsey senior leaders Sven Smit, Kate Smaje, Shelley Stewart, Solveigh Hieronimus, Tracy Francis, and Alex Panas discuss what they expect at Davos 2025.

Young Global Leaders on Davos 2025

December 18, 2024 -

The World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, current and alumni, share their thoughts on issues they believe should get much more attention in Davos but might not amid a plethora of business topics.

A grid of portraits of The World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, current and alumni.

Article

What is Davos?

Davos, Switzerland, is where the World Economic Forum holds its annual meeting. Delegates from many sectors converge for several days of talks and meetings to address urgent global issues.