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Megan McConnell

Assists large, complex institutions in transforming how they run their organizations—especially modernizing for the future, strategic talent management, and lasting organizational change

Megan advises government leaders and executives across the public and private sectors, especially in defense and healthcare, on complex issues involving human capital, organizational change, and operational performance. With strong experience in strategic human resources and a passion for people, she helps organizations create world-class talent systems, seize scarce talent pools, and support workers adapting to rapid technological change—such as automation, digitization, and remote work.

Megan has an in-depth understanding of the unique challenges facing the civil service. She leads the firm’s outreach on diversity, equity, and inclusion to the US government, bringing the latest research and private-sector innovations. She also supports government leaders as they reimagine how and where people will work post-pandemic.

Examples of Megan’s work include the following:

  • counseling a senior leadership team to deliver on promise of a once-in-a-generation organizational transformation across strategy, risk, talent, organizational design, innovation, and IT
  • developing a human capital strategy for a US government agency to attract and retain the best talent and to more rapidly access unique skills and capabilities from the private sector
  • redesigning a media company’s individual performance management system to improve employee accountability, link pay and promotions to performance, enable career development, and raise employee engagement
  • counseling senior leaders at a US government agency on a multiyear transformation to improve performance outcomes on quality, speed, and resource efficiency
  • creating a cutting-edge executive leadership model to support a healthcare provider’s new strategy
  • standing up a talent center of excellence to improve a US government agency’s performance on recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent

Published Work

Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th-anniversary report,” McKinsey & Company, September 2024

Shaping tomorrow’s talent agenda for the public sector,” McKinsey & Company, March 2024

Transforming public sector hiring with data-enabled talent ‘win rooms’,” McKinsey & Company, July 2023

Making government an even better place for women to work,” McKinsey & Company, May 2023

What workers want is changing. That could be good for government,” McKinsey & Company, October 2022

Mission critical: Improving government workforce planning,” McKinsey & Company, September 2022

Stepping up, but risking burnout: Women leaders in the public and social sectors in 2021,” McKinsey & Company, November 2021

The future of federal work,” McKinsey & Company, October 2020

Transforming the US federal government’s approach to hiring digital talent,” McKinsey & Company, September 2020

Transforming the talent model in the insurance industry,” McKinsey & Company, July 2020

COVID-19: Reopening federal agency operations and reimagining a next normal,” McKinsey & Company, June 2020

Are we long—or short—on talent?,” McKinsey Quarterly, January 2019

An economy that works: Job creation and America's future, McKinsey Global Institute, Washington DC, June 2011

Education

Harvard Business School
MBA

University of Virginia
BA, economics
BA, Spanish