Hi, I’m Rob Whiteman

I didn’t have a grand plan—just a few lucky breaks that snowballed into a rewarding career. I learned about business while working for a multinational company that has been around since 1892. Then, I had a front-row seat to the global financial crisis at a New York private equity firm. Finally, I was elected partner at McKinsey & Company. Today, I’m (mostly) retired.

Over the past decade, I’ve become one of the leading experts in cognitive automation. I don’t buy into the hype that AI will wipe out all human work, but I do think we’re underestimating how profoundly automation reshapes competitive dynamics, investment returns, and social systems. Most of us still rely on mental models rooted in how people work. That makes it hard to see the world through the eyes of machines.

In 2016, I founded an automation service line at McKinsey and went on to help more than 200 public and private sector organizations build AI and automation programs. I loved the work—but I didn’t love the firefighting, travel, and complexity that came with it.

So I stepped away from McKinsey in late 2022.

These days, I spend my time collaborating with people who are just as excited about automation and AI as I am. I’m especially drawn to:

  • Business models that make innovative use of automation technologies

  • Startups tackling the disruption of industries and labor markets

  • Investment strategies shaped by how automation creates organizational value

  • Emerging tools like large language models, VR, and embodied cognition

I run a solo firm—Better Future Advisors LLC. When I’m not working, I’m writing, learning new things, or spending time with the people who make life meaningful.