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About David Fubini
David Fubini has advised leaders at companies including Merck, American Airlines, Raytheon, IBM, Rio Tinto and Keurig Dr Pepper on M&A, organizational turnarounds and the working relationship between CEOs and their boards.
That relationship is where much of his counsel begins. "CEOs don't always get the entire truth, and many feel constantly judged by their Boards," he says. "Both have a responsibility to build an effective, mutually beneficial partnership, and that starts with productive cooperation." His book Hidden Truths, with a foreword by GE Aerospace chairman and CEO Larry Culp, pulls back the curtain on the realities of a CEO's daily life. "The leadership skills managers learn as they climb the ladder of success toward the C-suite are of no value to the role of CEO," Fubini explains. "You have to learn a whole new set of skills, yet many candidates are unaware of this. That's why I wrote the book."
David's Keynote Topics
Considering the unique relationship between CEOs and Boards, how can organizations ensure an atmosphere of productive, open communication, particularly during times of uncertainty? According to senior Harvard Business School lecturer David Fubini, Boards have an enormous ability to be helpful to CEOs and both have a responsibility to build an effective, mutually beneficial partnership. In this enlightening presentation, Fubini shares lessons from his extensive change management experience and role as a top leadership advisor to companies like Merck, American Airlines, Raytheon, IBM, Rio Tinto, and Keurig Dr Pepper. Drawing on his own Board of Directors’ experience and his book Hidden Truths: What Leaders Need to Hear but Are Rarely Told, Fubini provides audiences with practical tools for building bridges of openness, honesty and effective communication between the board room and the C-suite.
Leading mergers and acquisitions transactions is a huge undertaking for any CEO. The risk of failure looms large as you try to satisfy all stakeholders. Having spent nearly 35 years helping leaders navigate such transactions, Harvard Business School executive educator and former McKinsey senior partner David Fubini – a global authority on leadership, organizational behavior and mergers and acquisitions – shares strategies for successfully executing transactions, from the most nuanced to the somewhat straightforward.
The inherent challenges that come with managing teams in a professional services environment are not lost on those who are tasked with leading. Having spent years leading teams at McKinsey & Company, Harvard Business School executive educator David Fubini, a global authority on leadership, organizational behavior and mergers and acquisitions, shares deep insights with executives in similar positions. His framework for success includes strategies for incentivizing employees, coaching and mentoring, setting expectations, role modeling and managing work-life tradeoffs.
Artificial intelligence will touch every aspect of our lives at home and at work – in fact, it’s already starting to. What does the unprecedented speed and processing power of AI mean for the future of consulting and PE analysts, FY Lawyers, junior auditors, etc.? According to Harvard Business School senior lecturer and founder of McKinsey’s Worldwide Merger Integration Practice David Fubini, AI will forever change the relationship between analysts and the Partners and organizations that hire them. In this eye-opening presentation, he’ll explain why the expensive, lengthy analysis process will be a thing of the past with AI leveling the playing field between consulting firms and businesses. Audiences will also learn how the power of AI is reducing the importance of scale, empowering small firms to be as competitive as large ones. Fubini will provide attendees with new best practices for change management, talent acquisition and financial modeling in the new world of work that will enable their firms to prepare for the AI powered future.
The job of a CEO has always been challenging, but it is even more challenging today, says Harvard Business School executive educator David Fubini. Drawing from his experience as a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, where he worked closely with CEOs from the world’s most successful companies for 34 years, as well as his acclaimed book, “Hidden Truths: What Leaders Need to Hear But Are Rarely Told” (2020), he pulls back the curtain on the little-known realities of a CEO’s day-to-day life and shares practical, actionable advice on how to successfully lead an organization. This talk is a must for new and aspiring CEOs who want to minimize pitfalls and maximize their impact.
Books by David Fubini
Post-Merger Integration: Building the Mindset, Skills, and Discipline Needed for Deal Success
Wiley, 2026
Hidden Truths: What Leaders Need to Hear But Are Rarely Told
Wiley, 2020
Let Me Explain: Eugene G. Fubini's Life in Defense of America
Sunstone Press, 2009
Mergers: Leadership, Performance, and Corporate Health
Palgrave MacMillan, 2006Articles by David Fubini
Business transformation can’t wait for certainty
June 2026Harvard Business SchoolWhy Every Deal Needs a Clear Rationale
June 2026Harvard Business SchoolIs it Time for Big Apple Circus to Fold the Tent
January 2018Harvard Business ReviewBefore a Merger, Consider Company Cultures Along with Financials
December 2014Harvard Business ReviewLaunching a World-Class Joint Venture
February 2004David in the Media
David Fubini on Enterprise Transformation: Why Strategy and Leadership Must Evolve Together
How To Conduct A Successful Post-Merger Integration
CEO whisperer David Fubini shares his M&A secrets with new book
AI Trends for 2026: Building 'Change Fitness' and Balancing Trade-Offs
Are Management Consulting Firms Failing to Manage Themselves?
Job Search Advice for a Tough Market: Think Broadly and Stay Flexible
Merging Competitors: U.S. Airways and American Airlines
Checking Your Ethics: Would You Speak Up in These 3 Sticky Situations?
The Hard Truth About Being a CEO
Hidden Truths: What Leaders Need to Hear But Are Rarely Told
David Fubini has produced a practical, insightful, and engaging book. He has used his years of consulting access to see ‘behind the curtain’ and showcase the very real, day-to-day complexities and challenges of being a CEO. He offers powerful and timely suggestions for leaders of all types of organizations.
Doug ParkerChairman and CEO, American Airlines
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