M&A activity is down, as is private equity investment, and companies are facing a range of new geopolitical tensions. Still, there is a path to growth through M&A for those companies that maintain an active acquisition strategy, understand their capabilities, and avoid certain assets, says McKinsey Senior Partner Jake Henry . On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast , he and McKinsey Senior Partner Mieke Van Oostende join McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to discuss findings from McKinsey’s 2025 M&A report . They also discuss the importance of culture in M&A integrations. In our second segment, McKinsey Senior Partner Dana Maor shares how CEOs can and should stay connected to their teams with Managing Editor of Podcasts, Laurel Moglen. (Starts at 15:58) Articles mentioned: The cost of compute: A $7 trillion race to scale data centers In a moment of tariffs, can the world find balance and trust to thrive? Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information
