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Alex Sawaya

Senior PartnerHong Kong

Leads retail work in Asia and the new retail bootcamp in China, helping consumer and retail clients shape and implement strategies for profitable growth

Alex leads McKinsey’s Retail Practice in Asia. He supports leading retail companies through performance and growth transformations and digital business building. His clients include leading local champions across China, North Asia, South East Asia and the Middle East, and multinational companies looking to enter or transform their presence in Asia.

In addition to driving the firm’s innovation agenda in retail, Alex is the cochair of McKinsey’s Internet & Innovation Academy in China through which the leading-edge retail innovation from China is brought to our clients globally.

Alex is an astrophysics enthusiast and a passionate basketball player.

Published Work

How businesses can close China’s AI talent gap,” McKinsey & Company, May 2023

Disruption and uncertainty: The state of grocery 2022—China,” McKinsey & Company, December 2021

How China’s consumer companies managed through the COVID-19 crisis: A virtual roundtable,” McKinsey & Company, March 2020

What food retailers should do during the coronavirus crisis,” McKinsey & Company, March 2020

How companies can seize opportunity in Vietnam’s growing retail market, McKinsey & Company, October 2019

Auchan China’s chairman on the future of grocery,” McKinsey & Company, July 2019

What Chinese consumers want from fresh-food retailers,” McKinsey & Company, April 2019

Boosting mall revenues through advanced analytics,” McKinsey & Company, January 2019

Commercial excellence in China: Lessons from the top CPG companies,” McKinsey & Company, October 2018

How grocers can outperform in Vietnam: Standing tall in a crowded market,” McKinsey & Company, March 2018

Past experience

Total
Project manager

Procter & Gamble
Project manager

Education

INSEAD
MBA

Georgia Institute of Technology
MS, civil engineering
MC, industrial engineering

American University of Beirut
BE, civil engineering