/ Caliber Index / McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company
Management Consulting · Strategy + ops consulting
B
Good (B) — Consultancy Caliber Grade
The largest and most prestigious strategy consulting firm globally. Multi-billion-dollar revenue scale. Strong on talent quality (Harvard/Stanford/Wharton recruitment). Material reputational damage in 2017-2024 from Purdue Pharma opioid advisory work ($641M settlement), South Africa Eskom corruption case, Saudi advisory practice exposure. Comeback in process; the Talent Quality and Methodology Rigor subscores remain category-leading.
80
Composite / 100
Where this grade comes from.
Outcome Track Record
B
Pricing Honesty
B-
Conflict of Interest
C
Talent Quality
A
Methodology Rigor
A-
Key events & disclosures.
- Purdue Pharma opioid advisory — $641M settlement 2021
- South Africa Eskom corruption case (2018-2024)
- Saudi government advisory practice scrutiny (2018+)
- ICE detention center work (2018) — internal firm controversy
- Bob Sternfels CEO since 2021
/ Best for
Fortune 500 strategic transformation engagements where category-leading talent and methodology rigor justify premium pricing.
/ Watch out for
Conflict-of-interest exposure is a structural feature of the firm's scale. Verify your engagement is conflict-cleared and the team is not simultaneously advising direct competitors.