131. The timeless truths of corporate finance–and three challenges ahead

In this episode we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our quarterly journal, McKinsey on Finance. We discuss the timeless truths of corporate finance, highlight three urgent challenges facing companies today, and look at how the fundamentals of finance can help business leaders address them. Sean Brown is joined by Tim Koller, a partner in our Denver office who oversees McKinsey on Finance and helps lead our global team of corporate finance consultants. Tim is also co-author of the best-selling book ‘Valuation’, now in its seventh edition with nearly a million copies sold. Joining Tim and Sean for today’s conversation is Obi Ezekoye, a partner in our Minneapolis office and an expert on M&A integrations and divestitures. Obi serves global energy and materials clients. Also with us is Werner Rehm, a partner in our New Jersey office who leads our Strategy Analytics Center and serves high tech, industrial, and pharmaceutical clients. Read Tim’s article, ‘Reflections on 20 years of McKinsey on Finance—and three challenges ahead’: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/reflections-on-20-years-of-mckinsey-on-finance-and-three-challenges-ahead Download McKinsey on Finance:https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/mckinsey-on-finance Listen to episode 111. Leadership lessons from the world’s best CEOs:https://link.chtbl.com/4AiLXWHV Read ‘CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest’:https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/ceo-excellence Read ‘Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, 7th edition’: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/valuation-measuring-and-managing-the-value-of-companies Contact Tim Koller: https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/tim-koller Contact Obi Ezekoye: https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/obi-ezekoye Contact Werner Rehm: https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/werner-rehm Join our LinkedIn community:https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance Explore more Inside the Strategy Room podcast episode transcripts:https://www.mckinsey.com/itsr