Dr. Jonathan Woetzel

Jonathan Woetzel, Ph.D, is director of the McKinsey Global Institute and leads MGI research on productivity, urbanization, infrastructure, inequality, and regional economies. Based in China since 1986, he leads McKinsey’s Cities Special Initiative and co-chairs the non-profit think tank Urban China Initiative, a collaborative project of Tsinghua University and McKinsey & Company that aims to develop and implement solutions to China’s urbanization challenge.

As an expert on energy, sustainability, and economic master planning, Jonathan has advised national and local governments in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas on topics including improving the foreign investment environment, energy policy, and economic development. He has conducted more than 60 projects for local governments throughout China to support economic development and transformation. 

Jonathan works in the private sector as well, serving clients most often on topics related to corporate strategy, operations, and organization. He has extensive experience in real estate, particularly commercial revitalization, and has advised on energy investment strategies, among other topics.

Jonathan actively participates in international forums including the Joint US–China Coalition for Clean Energy, and also guest lectures at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Business and the China-Europe International Business School. He has written five books on China, including Capitalist China: Strategies for a Revolutionized Economy, and currently has three Amazon international business bestsellers.