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Robert Byrne

Senior PartnerBay Area

Helps financial services and financial technology companies drive growth by transforming their go-to-market capabilities in commercialization, pricing, and sales force effectiveness

Drawing on deep expertise in marketing and sales, Robert partners closely with executives to drive commercial excellence across their businesses, with a focus on the opportunities and threats presented by digital technology. Working primarily in the financial services sector, he guides efforts to transform sales and pricing effectiveness, improve payments solutions and infrastructure, and refine product development approaches. Since joining the firm in 2000, he has served a broad spectrum of clients as they address the rapidly evolving financial industry landscape.

Examples of his work include the following:

  • leading a pricing transformation for a transaction processor that diagnosed the causes of margin decline, set new pricing levels, and boosted pricing capabilities to sustain impact—resulting in stronger revenue performance
  • creating the blueprint, value proposition, and launch strategy for a digital bank, evaluating consumer needs, competitive landscape, and product-level economics
  • overhauling the investment management process for a major global asset management firm to improve fund performance and reduce risk

Extensively published, Robert tracks new insights in sales innovation strategy and leads our efforts in North America to understand how consumers are changing their preferences and seeking new ways to interact with financial institutions.

Before joining McKinsey, Robert worked in Japan as a design engineer, responsible for design and technical sales of automotive electrical and electronic distribution systems. He is current a board member of the San Francisco Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Published Work

Strategic M&A in US banking: Creating value in uncertain times,” McKinsey & Company, November 2022

Web3 beyond the hype,” McKinsey & Company, September 2022

How an acquisition invigorated an asset management leader,” McKinsey & Company, December 2021

Innovation and disruption in US merchant payments,” McKinsey & Company, May 2014

“The battle for the point of sale,” McKinsey & Company, March 2013

“Online merchant acquiring: Innovating beyond payments,” McKinsey & Company, March 2012

“Alternative consumer loans: A growing segment of US borrowing,” McKinsey & Company, March 2012

“How digital offers could change the payments industry,” McKinsey & Company, March 2012

Make a mobile digital offer your customers can't refuse,” Forbes, March 27, 2012

“Global challenges, local opportunities: Trends in merchant acquiring,” McKinsey & Company, September 2011

Past experience

Sumitomo
Design engineer

Education

University College Dublin
BE, mechanical engineering

Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MBA, finance