Takeaways from McKinsey’s Media Day: Top business trends for 2025

McKinsey recently shared insights on key business trends and challenges expected to shape 2025 during the firm’s largest Media Day event in London.

Global Business Environment; Geopolitical disruptions have become the primary concern for business leaders, prompting McKinsey to launch a dedicated Geopolitics Practice.

• Companies are focusing on three key decision areas: diversifying growth opportunities through new trade corridors, strategically positioning operations and supply chains, and evaluating corporate structure and risk management
• Private equity firms must now track materials across thousands of supply chains in their portfolio companies
• Consumer companies are utilizing digital twins of manufacturing facilities to simulate and prepare for potential geopolitical disruptions

Artificial Intelligence Evolution; The implementation of generative AI is moving beyond pilot programs to comprehensive business solutions with measurable financial targets.

• Companies are shifting from isolated use cases to domain-focused approaches that create reusable technology
• Four main applications have emerged: customer journey optimization, software engineering enhancement, content processing through “concision engines,” and virtual knowledge experts
• AI agents are expected to advance from handling routine tasks to more complex operations in 2025
• Organizations will face new challenges in orchestrating multiple AI agents working simultaneously while maintaining continuous learning loops

Workforce Transformation; European businesses are grappling with significant skills gaps and the need to build more inclusive talent pools.

• Skills deficits are among the top three barriers to European competitiveness and growth
• Companies are struggling with internal skill development and access to external service providers
• The current talent pool underutilizes workers over 55, women, and ethnic minorities, who could potentially add €120 billion annually to the European economy
• Only 25% of major companies have strategies to engage underrepresented groups
• Employee resource groups have proven effective in building inclusive workforces, though data collection challenges persist due to varying European regulations

Looking Ahead to 2025; The convergence of geopolitical challenges, AI advancement, and workforce transformation will require companies to develop more sophisticated strategies for risk management, technology integration, and talent development. Success will likely depend on how well organizations can adapt to these interconnected challenges while maintaining operational resilience and inclusive growth.