McKinsey appoints Gautam Kumra as India managing director

By Maulik Vyas

  • 29 Nov 2016

Global management and consulting firm McKinsey & Company has named Gautam Kumra its new managing director for India. Kumra was chosen through an election process and will occupy the corner office from the beginning of 2017, said people familiar with the development.

Kumra, who heads the organisation practice for McKinsey’s Asia-Pacific region, will be the second senior partner from India to lead the country’s operations after Noshir Kaka, from whom he takes over. Kumra is credited with founding the McKinsey Leadership Institute. 

Kumra’s appointment was announced by the consulting firm's Asia chief Kevin Sneader at an India partners' meeting held in New Delhi on Monday evening, Anu Madgavkar, partner at McKinsey Global Institute, told VCCircle. 

“Noshir Kaka has transitioned to a global role. He will assume co-leadership of our global advanced analytics practice from 1 January 2017,” Madgavkar added.

Kumra was selected on the basis of recommendations sent to Dominic Barton, the global managing director of the firm, who took the final call.

“Gautam Kumra is deeply respected by the firm's partners. He has a record of outstanding client leadership and the ability to build and innovate, perhaps best seen in the McKinsey Leadership Institute,” said Sneader in response to an email query. 

Kumra, an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, joined McKinsey immediately after graduating from the management school in 1993. He works closely with India Inc CEOs on talent and leadership issues at the leadership institute that he founded in the country.

McKinsey India has more than 500 consultants, 15 senior partners and 35 partners. Globally, the firm is owned by over 1,400 partners spread across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. It has over 10,000 consultants and nearly 2,000 research and information professionals globally.

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