Archive · 12 Oct 2026
McKinsey Removes Partner From Research Leadership After LinkedIn Posts
McKinsey removed Chris Bradley from leadership jobs at the company.
The decision followed an internal review of comments he posted on LinkedIn.
His posts questioned an idea called the “glass cliff.”
That idea says women may be more likely to become company leaders when a business is struggling.
McKinsey said Bradley’s comments did not meet the firm’s standards.
Bradley is still a senior partner at McKinsey.
The company has also published research about women’s experiences at work for more than ten years.
McKinsey removed senior partner Chris Bradley from leadership roles, including at the McKinsey Global Institute.
The firm said his public comments fell short of its standards after an internal conduct review.
Bradley’s deleted LinkedIn comments questioned whether the workplace “glass cliff” phenomenon exists.
The term describes women being more likely to receive CEO roles at companies in crisis or turnaround.
Bradley remains a senior partner; McKinsey has published its Women in the Workplace study for more than a decade.
- Who
- McKinsey & Co. and senior partner Chris Bradley.
- What
- McKinsey removed Bradley from leadership roles after reviewing his public comments about the glass cliff.
- When
- The firm announced the decision on Sunday, following LinkedIn comments made the previous month.
- Where
- McKinsey’s research unit, the McKinsey Global Institute; Bradley is based in Australia.
- Why
- McKinsey said Bradley’s public comments fell short of the standards it expects.
McKinsey’s standards
Bradley’s comments
Workplace glass cliff
McKinsey’s standards
The glass cliff describes a pattern in which women are more likely to be offered CEO roles at struggling companies; proponents say research supports the theory.
Bradley’s comments
Bradley questioned whether the concept exists and called it “a very convenient way to always be a victim in the rain.”
Public comments and leadership
McKinsey’s standards
McKinsey said Bradley’s public comments fell well short of the standards expected at the firm and removed him from leadership roles.
Bradley’s comments
Bradley’s posts challenged the glass cliff concept; he could not immediately be reached for comment, and the articles provide no response from him to the decision.
- Partner
- Chris Bradley
- Firm
- McKinsey & Co.
- Leadership role affected
- Director at the McKinsey Global Institute, among other internal leadership roles
- Employment status
- Bradley remains a senior partner at McKinsey.
- Review
- McKinsey said the action followed its conduct review process.
- Comments
- Bradley’s deleted LinkedIn posts questioned the existence of the glass cliff.
- Related research
- McKinsey has published its Women in the Workplace study with Lean In for more than a decade.