Ep. 25: Sarah Brody - From Oceans to McKinsey
It's always worth paying attention to top-level consultants as crucial advisors to their usually enormous clients. They have their finger on the pulse of the practical needs of the market and are responsive when they see critical mass in an area. Sarah Brody runs the North American water practice of McKinsey, which she has restarted in response to considerable client demand from mega-cap corporates to private equity firms. The mainstreaming of water advice for major clients is a very interesting leading indicator of the increasing attention being paid to the fundamental molecule. Sarah is a proper intrapreneur and has done exceptional work building the business on behalf of her clients. She really elucidates the role that firms like McKinsey play in this sector, and she has an excellent water origin story. Please enjoy my conversation with Sarah Brody.
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Full show notes and links to mentioned content below.
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Sarah Brody, Head of McKinsey’s North American water practice, delves into the increasing role of water in sustainability and climate adaptation here today. She discusses McKinsey’s decision to reestablish its water division in response to growing client demand and highlights the rising need for strategic water solutions across industries like mining and semiconductors. Sarah also explores the vast investment opportunities within this complex, trillion-dollar market, emphasizing the challenges of navigating the intricate water value chain and the critical importance of resilience and innovation.
00:00 Start
00:49 Introduction
01:30 Sarah Brody and McKinsey's Reestablished Water Practice
04:15 Water as the Confluence of Sustainability and Climate Adaptation
06:52 Increased Demand for Strategic Water Solutions
09:23 Opportunities in Water for Investors
11:50 The Challenge of Sales Cycles and Complex Water Value Chains
15:40 PhD in Oceanography and Transition to Water
19:38 Ocean Conservation and Business Opportunities
23:02 Intrapreneurship at McKinsey
27:15 Navigating Water Sector Complexities
30:20 Public-Private Partnerships for Water Resilience
34:15 U.S. Water Infrastructure Investment Trends
38:12 Future Drivers of Corporate Water Strategy
41:25 Magic Wand Solution for Water Investment
45:10 Advice for Water Entrepreneurs: Embrace Complexity
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