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Drew Erdmann

PartnerSt Louis

Helps US state and local governments solve their toughest organizational and operational challenges

Andrew (“Drew”) Erdmann has more than 20 years' experience as a public servant and consultant. He has counseled senior executives on their strategic and performance transformations in large government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and leading nonprofits.

Drew now helps lead McKinsey’s work with state and local governments across the United States with a focus on organizational and operational transformation. He also leads McKinsey’s Change Leaders Forum for state and local government leaders as well as the Government Transitions Initiative. He brings his firsthand experience leading an enterprise-wide transformation focused on performance and organizational health as a state government chief operating officer to his work at McKinsey.

His recent experience includes:

  • helping a city government diagnose, design, and deliver an end-to-end redesign of its site plan development review process
  • supporting multiple state government economic development organizations develop their strategies and the organizational models to deliver them
  • assisting a state government to formulate and implement a comprehensive revamp of its behavioral health strategy
  • advising new agency directors on the transition to new roles and setting their management agenda

Before joining McKinsey, Drew served in a variety of national security roles in the US government and received Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards from the US Department of State for his service in Washington, DC and overseas. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Published work

Deploying generative AI in US state governments: Pilot, scale, adopt,” McKinsey & Company, February 2024

How State Governments Can Address Their Workforce Talent Crisis,” Governing· May 2, 2023

Bridging the talent gap in state government post pandemic,” McKinsey & Company, March 2023

Past Experience

State of Missouri
Chief Operating Officer

The White House
Director, National Security Council

US Department of Defense
Senior Advisor

US Department of State
Member, Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff

Education

Harvard University
PhD, History

Harvard University
AM, History

Oxford University
BA, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Williams College
BA, History and Political Science