Navigate the global M&A environment in 2025

The week’s highlights for the weekend ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

CURATED PICKS FOR YOUR DOWNTIME, FROM OUR EDITORS

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Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Axel Karlsson, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms

Welcome to the latest edition of The Weekend Read. We hope you find our perspectives useful. Let us know what you think at [email protected] and [email protected].

—Alex and Axel

As you wrap up the workweek and head into the weekend, catch up on recent insights on the global M&A environment in 2025, creating workplaces that help alleviate employee burnout, building leaders from the ground up, and more.

An image linking to the web page “M&A Annual Report: Is the wave finally arriving?” on McKinsey.com

In this year’s M&A Annual Report, Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende provide in-depth discussions on trends and best practices in the global M&A environment in 2025.

Dive in

An image linking to the web page “Healthy workplace, healthy workers” on McKinsey.com

By creating supportive workplaces that help alleviate employee burnout and improve well-being, employers can enable both their workers and their companies to thrive.

Get your Five Fifty

Daniel Pacthod, Kurt Strovink , and Wyman Howard discuss characteristics that are especially critical for leaders to thrive in today’s volatile business environment.

6 traits

An image linking to the web page “Returning to the office? Focus more on practices and less on the policy” on McKinsey.com

The working model is far less important than the work environment leaders create. Aaron De Smet , Brooke Weddle , and coauthors outline five core practices that drive performance and strengthen organizational health.

How companies are doing

Ready to unwind?

—Edited by Joyce Yoo, editor, New York

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In this year’s M&A Annual Report, Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende provide in-depth discussions on trends and best practices in the global M&A environment in 2025.﻿

﻿By creating supportive workplaces that help alleviate employee burnout and improve well-being, employers can enable both their workers and their companies to thrive.

Daniel Pacthod﻿, Kurt Strovink, and Wyman Howard discuss characteristics that are especially critical for leaders to thrive in today’s volatile business environment.﻿

The working model is far less important than the work environment leaders create. Aaron De Smet, Brooke Weddle, and coauthors outline five core practices that drive performance and strengthen organizational health.﻿

Arnab Bose on AI’s impact on cybersecurity﻿

﻿Tech resilience for healthcare providers: Inaction has a heavy toll﻿

4-Down: Deceitful person﻿

In this year’s M&A Annual Report, Jake Henry and Mieke Van Oostende provide in-depth discussions on trends and best practices in the global M&A environment in 2025.

By creating supportive workplaces that help alleviate employee burnout and improve well-being, employers can enable both their workers and their companies to thrive.

Daniel Pacthod, Kurt Strovink , and Wyman Howard discuss characteristics that are especially critical for leaders to thrive in today’s volatile business environment.

The working model is far less important than the work environment leaders create. Aaron De Smet , Brooke Weddle , and coauthors outline five core practices that drive performance and strengthen organizational health.

Arnab Bose on AI’s impact on cybersecurity

Tech resilience for healthcare providers: Inaction has a heavy toll

4-Down: Deceitful person