Dominic Barton won the election in 2009 and became Managing Director of McKinsey & Company on July 1st, based on a vote of 400 senior partners. [1] [2] Barton was was re-elected in 2012 [3] and again in 2015. His current term will be his last, since Managing Directors serve a maximum of three terms. [4]
A few weeks into Barton's appointment, it was discovered that current and former McKinsey consultants, Anil Kumar and Rajat Gupta respectively, were involved in an insider trading scandal. Barton led the firm's response in communicating with clients and staff. [5] [6] He also led the development of new rules at McKinsey intended to prevent future indiscretions. For example, consultants and their families were forbidden from making any investments in the firm's clients. [7] A new position was created at McKinsey called the "director of professional standards" and consultants were required to pass classes on responsible investing. Most consultants supported Barton's changes, but there was opposition from European staff, who did not have as much exposure to the scandal. [7] Some consultants refused to take the class, saying that McKinsey was operating like a "nanny state". [7] [4] Barton and others also internally publicized the actions of McKinsey's disciplinary committee, embarrassing those that were punished for ethical misconduct. [7] The New York Times said Barton revitalized the firm after "the worst crisis" in the firm's history. [4]
In 2016, Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau appointed Barton to lead a 14-person advisory council on the Canadian economy. [8] [9] Prior to his appointment, Barton had also advised Ottawa. [10] Barton is also a board member or advisor to several Canadian organizations. [10]