McKinsey's Vik Malhotra Shares Leadership Lessons & Consulting Career Advice
Vik Malhotra (WG'86), McKinsey's longest-tenured senior partner and former Chairman of the Americas, joined Wharton undergraduate student Muhammad Vakil (W'26), President of the Wharton Undergraduate Consulting Club and Head of the Wharton Undergraduate Communication Program TA Leadership Board, for a fireside chat in Huntsman Hall on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
The event was presented by the Wharton Undergraduate Consulting Club and Wharton Undergraduate PE&VC Club, in partnership with the Wharton Undergraduate Communication Program, The Investment Management Club, The MBA Consulting Club, Wharton GRC, and MUSE.
(Recorded November 13, 2025)
0:00 Introduction
0:45 How growing up in India and Cyprus shaped Malhotra's experiences
4:36 Key lessons from his career journey
10:28 How the annual leadership forum became a catalyst for his book
12:40 What responsibilities should leaders prioritize most?
17:50 The generational exceptionalism fallacy
22:32 Interviewing CEOs through the laddering approach
27:00 What makes a "great consultant" in the modern age?
30:27 Approach to leadership
34:38 Questions undergrads and MBAs should be asking
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Vik Malhotra is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and former Chairman of the Americas. From 2004 to 2017, Vik served on McKinsey’s board of directors, chairing the People Committee and the Governance & Risk Committee. Vik has also served as the Managing Partner of the Americas, led the Senior Partner Review Committee and Professional Standards Committee, and led parts of the Banking Practice and Insurance Practice. Vik joined the firm in 1986 and has spent his career in the New York office.
During his time at McKinsey, his consulting experience has covered a broad range of assignments on performance transformation, corporate strategy, business unit strategy, growth strategies, organizational effectiveness, and operational improvement.
Much of Vik’s current focus is on counseling CEOs and Boards on a range of issues. He is co-author of the New York Times bestseller "CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest" and and the national bestseller "A CEO For All Seasons."
Vik is also active with major non-profits outside McKinsey. He currently serves on the Wharton Board of Advisors and served as chair of the Wharton Graduate Executive Board. He is also a trustee emeritus of The New York City Partnership, the Asia Society, and The Conference Board.
Before joining McKinsey, Vik graduated from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Prior to receiving his MBA, he worked at the accounting firm of Ernst & Whinney in London, England. Vik received his undergraduate degree in economics from the London School of Economics in 1980.