Sven Smit

Senior Partner and Chair, McKinsey Global Institute

Sven is a senior partner at McKinsey and the chair of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), our business-and-economics research division, and also chairs our insights and ecosystems work.

Sven works with leading companies to develop strategies for growth and serves all industries, analyzing the success factors required for business growth, examining the way megatrends influence it, and defining the lessons of diversified growth. He builds on the ideas in Strategy Beyond the Hockey Stick: People, Probabilities, and Big Moves to Beat the Odds (John Wiley & Sons, February 2018), and The Granularity of Growth: How to Identify the Sources of Growth and Drive Enduring Company Performance (John Wiley & Sons, March 2008), two books he coauthored.

As chair of MGI, he leads research and authors MGI reports on global economic trends and topics such as productivity and growth, urbanization, innovation and technology, labor markets, the future of work, emerging markets, and Europe's economic outlook.

He helps develop the firm’s point of view on core issues such as economic volatility, inflation, and uncertainty, and defines ways to help clients navigate problems. Previous roles Sven has held within McKinsey include leading the firm’s work in Western Europe and the global Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice.

Sven holds a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA. Prior to joining the firm, Sven worked in measurement and control as an engineer and researcher. He contributes to society through NL2025, an initiative committed to a better future for the Netherlands.