Wednesday 10 June 2026
On Wednesday 3 June, the Phillips Society had the privilege of welcoming Mitch Kornman (Greenbank, 1999 – 2003), Managing Partner of McKinsey New Zealand, to speak to the King’s College community.
Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in management consulting, Mitch offered students a thoughtful and forward-looking perspective on the forces shaping New Zealand’s future. Rather than focusing solely on his personal career journey, he challenged students to consider the opportunities and responsibilities that come with living in a rapidly changing world.
Mitch identified five key areas that distinguish the emerging era from the market-driven period of 1989–91: world order, technology platforms, demographic forces, energy and resource systems, and capital. Through these themes, he provided students with a valuable framework for understanding the economic transformation taking place both in New Zealand and globally.
Reflecting on New Zealand’s future prosperity, Mitch noted, “We don’t want to be poor, so we just work harder.” While acknowledging the nation’s strong work ethic, he emphasised that improving productivity and working smarter, not simply harder, will be essential to raising living standards for future generations.
Mitch also addressed one of the most pressing topics for students today: artificial intelligence (AI). Using a surfing analogy, he explained that “having the ability to select the right wave is just as important as the tricks you can do on it.” He encouraged students to develop the uniquely human skills that AI cannot replicate and to think carefully about how they can contribute in a technology-driven future.
In closing, Mitch encouraged students to remain optimistic and embrace the changes ahead. He left the audience with two thought-provoking questions: “Will you be a builder of the next system, or just a user of it?” and “What responsibility will your generation choose to carry?”
Students left the Toi Manawa Theatre with a deeper understanding of the future and a renewed confidence in their ability to help shape it.
Angus Birchenough (Year 13, Marsden), Philips Society