Gautam Kumra is the chairman of McKinsey’s offices in Asia. He is also a member of the global leadership team, which oversees the implementation of the firm’s strategy and critical priorities.
Gautam was previously the managing partner for McKinsey’s India offices, and led the firm’s People & Organizational Performance Practice in Asia. Over his 30-year career at McKinsey, Gautam has worked closely with a diverse range of Indian, Asian, and global clients, advising them on growth strategy, organization transformation, leadership development, and governance. His experience spans all major sectors of the economy, and he is one of the leading thinkers behind McKinsey’s research and insights on transformational change.
Passionate about developing CEO leadership, Gautam founded the McKinsey Leadership Institute and the Bower Forum. He is a driving force for the McKinsey Center for CEO Excellence, which helps Asian CEOs perform at their highest level to deliver transformational change. He has worked with companies on large-scale change efforts that capture the benefits of digital evolutions, such as the shift to cloud, digital consumer journeys, and building talent. He also helps leaders across the public, private and social sectors drive sustainable, inclusive growth.
Beyond McKinsey, Gautam is a founding board member of the Public Health Foundation of India, and serves on the governing board of IIM Bodh Gaya, a not-for-profit institute of management education in eastern India. Additionally, he is a founding board member of the IIT Delhi Endowment Board and a member of the Business Advisory Council of the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York.
Published work
“UK-India: A 21st-century partnership,” McKinsey & Company, July 2025
“Everyday habits: How CEOs navigate their six core responsibilities,” McKinsey & Company, February 2025
“CEO imperatives in Asia’s new era,” McKinsey & Company, January 2025
“Asia’s emerging business corridors: New highways to growth,” McKinsey & Company, January 2025
“Asia: The epicenter of global trade shifts,” McKinsey & Company, August 2024
“AIA’s Lee Yuan Siong on building success for the long term,” McKinsey & Company, May 2024
“CEO excellence: How do leaders assess their own performance?,” McKinsey & Company, February 2024
“Asia on the cusp of a new era,” McKinsey Global Institute, September 2023
“Four steps to success for new CEOs,” McKinsey & Company, April 2023
“Asia’s top CEOs embrace change with boldness and resilience,” McKinsey & Company, January 2023
“How Asian business leaders can prepare for a volatile future,” McKinsey & Company, September 2022
“The future of (hybrid) work,” McKinsey & Company, September 2022
“India as a pharma innovation hub: An interview with Dr. Reddy’s G. V. Prasad,” McKinsey & Company, August 2022
“Why Infosys’s Nandan Nilekani is urging leaders to use tech for good,” McKinsey & Company, July 2022
“How to be a great 21st-century CEO,” McKinsey & Company, June 2022
“India’s turning point: An economic agenda to spur growth and jobs,” McKinsey Global Institute, August 2020
“Innovating business models to boost India’s economy,” McKinsey & Company, August 2019
“Creating Indian Multinationals: Good for business, great for India,” essay in `The Path Ahead: Transformative ideas for India,´ published by Rupa, April 2018
“Mastering the CEO’s mandate,” Mint, January 2014
Education
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
MBA
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
B.Tech., Chemical Engineering
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