McKinsey Quarterly 2023 Number 1

‘It’s important to bring the spirit of emergencies to the long term’ In the third The Quarterly Interview: Provocations to Ponder , chef and nonprofit founder José Andrés talks about embracing emergencies for what they can teach us about solving long-term problems and being effective in two different spheres.

Business leaders may feel that they have been dealing with a never-ending series of crises since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. A health emergency ushered in a supply chain disruption that yielded an inflation predicament; add in higher energy prices and other upheavals, and the demands on leaders’ crisis manage ment skills are at an all-time high. - For perspective on how to thrive during emer gencies, we turned to José Andrés, a Spanish born chef whose company encompasses nearly 40 restaurants globally. Most chefs can offer some wisdom in dealing with pressure, given the relentless atmosphere of restaurant kitchens. But Andrés’s expertise is unique: in 2010, he founded World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit whose mission is to deliver fresh meals to people in need during emergencies, including tornados, hurricanes, pandemics, and wars. The nonprofit estimates that in 2022, it raised and spent $420 million, including on more than 170 million meals distributed to Ukrainians since the inva sion of Ukraine. - - As business leaders solve problems while also seeking growth in a challenging environment, they likely find themselves pulled in multiple directions. That’s another reason we found a

conversation with Andrés timely: he estimates that in 2022, he spent two and a half months in Ukraine while simultaneously running his busi ness, which opened seven new restaurants and bars around the United States and recently launched a media company. We wanted to know how he pursues two distinct missions and builds organizations that can thrive while he is otherwise engaged. - The chef recently joined McKinsey Quarterly deputy editor Katy McLaughlin for a wide ranging discussion. An edited version of their conversation follows. Katy McLaughlin: You published a book in 2018 titled We Fed an Island , about your efforts in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Recently, director Ron Howard released a documentary about your mission there. Both works depict you arriving to total chaos with little clue about food relief operations or how to help. Yet your organization eventually served 3.7 million meals in Puerto Rico through a net work of 20,000 chefs and volunteers. - Let’s talk about how you approach emergencies. How do you turn that initial turmoil and doubt into action and, ultimately, results?

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