Author Archives: J. DEVAN

Shocks: Capitalizing on a Nemesis

Posted on June, 2008 by J. DEVAN

By Janamitra Devan, Abhijeet Dwivedi, and Tsun-yan Hsieh “God himself could not sink this ship!” – Unknown Titanic crew member “BP Shuts Down Largest U.S. Oil Field,”[1] “Fire Risk Makes Dell Recall 4m Batteries,”[2] “FSA Tells Citibank to Withdraw from … Continue reading →

Posted in Working Papers | Leave a comment

Where Big is Best: The rise of megacities has created slums and chaos elsewhere, but in China, they are cleaner and more efficient.

Posted on May, 2008 by J. DEVAN

As China continues to boom in the coming decades, it would be well advised to think big. Big cities, that is. So far the migration from rural areas that has driven China’s growth has fed the rise of many cities, … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-ed / News | Leave a comment

A Road Map for 1 Billion City Dwellers

Posted on May, 2008 by J. DEVAN

China’s population is crowding into its cities on an unprecedented scale and pressures on land, national resources, city finances and the social fabric are intensifying. By 2025, nearly 1 billion people – or two-thirds of the population – will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-ed / News | Leave a comment

An Urban Productivity Agenda for China

Posted on April, 2008 by J. DEVAN

Third Annual Central China Exhibition Mayors Forum on Sustainable Development Wuhan, China, April 2008 Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen – On behalf of McKinsey & Company, I would like to thank the State Housing and Construction Ministry and the Ministry … Continue reading →

Posted in Speeches | Leave a comment

Growing Pains

Posted on April, 2008 by J. DEVAN

China’s dramatic economic growth is now presenting a new challenge: urban policy. Mass migration to cities is leading to the loss of arable land and urban sprawl; spiraling demand for energy and natural resources; and the rising challenge of providing … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-ed / News | Leave a comment

Preparing for China’s Urban Billion: Summary of Findings

Posted on March, 2008 by J. DEVAN

China’s burgeoning economic success and the rapidly rising standard of living of its people have resulted in a historically unprecedented surge of urbanization that is set to continue. If current trends hold, nearly one billion people will live in urban … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Leave a comment

Network Economics

Posted on August, 2007 by J. DEVAN

Economic Development:  An Integrated Approach Overview of Approach Economic development planning needs to ensure comprehensiveness, thoroughness, and completeness in the analytical phase.  Only then can sound strategies and policies be drafted that will be unique to the requirements of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Working Papers | Leave a comment

The Elusive Goal of Corporate Outperformance

Posted on May, 2007 by J. DEVAN

Many executives focused on growth assume that companies can sustain strong top- and bottom-line performance over long periods of time. McKinsey research, however, confirms that this kind of success is exceedingly rare and suggests that its pursuit can lead executives … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Leave a comment

Doing Business in China: A McKinsey Survey of Executives in Asia

Posted on February, 2007 by J. DEVAN

China is an increasingly important player in the world economy. However, nearly 40 percent of executives in Asia say their companies do no business in China today, according to a McKinsey survey, and a third say that even if the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Leave a comment

Ten Habits of Highly Effective Acquirers

Posted on October, 2006 by J. DEVAN

It is well documented that companies often fail to generate value through M&A. Studies published by Ernst & Young, Coopers & Lybrand, A.T. Kearney, and McKinsey all claim that 50% to 80% of deals fail to create value. Yet such … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Leave a comment