289. The CFO as growth leader: Levi’s Harmit Singh on transformation and the “Magic of the And.”

Inside the Strategy Room • February 05, 2026 • Solo Episode

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Levi Strauss & Co. Chief Finance and Growth Officer, Harmit Singh , joins us to share lessons from his 13-year journey transforming the iconic clothing company. Singh explains how Levi’s returned to growth, strengthened profitability, and shifted toward a direct-to-consumer model, while staying true to its purpose-driven heritage. He introduces the “Magic of the And”–his approach to driving both top- and bottom-line performance– and discusses building a performance culture, navigating volatility and tariffs with cross-functional teams, developing finance talent, and approaching AI in finance with practical use cases and discipline. Joining Harmit for this discussion is Steve Begley , a senior partner based in our New York office. Related Insights The State of Fashion 2026: When the rules change How finance teams are putting AI to work today How Nestlé’s CFO sharpens focus across a global portfolio Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/ See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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