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Drew Erdmann

PartnerSt Louis

Helps US state and local governments solve their toughest organizational and operational challenges

Andrew (“Drew”) has more than 25 years’ experience as a public servant and consultant. He has counseled senior executives on their strategic and performance transformations in large government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and leading nonprofits.

Drew now helps lead McKinsey’s work with state and local governments across the United States with a focus on organizational and operational transformation. He leads the People & Organizational Performance Practice’s work with state and local governments. He also leads McKinsey’s Change Leaders Forum for state and local government leaders, as well as the US State Government Transitions Initiative. He brings to his client work at McKinsey his firsthand experience leading an enterprise-wide transformation focused on performance and organizational health as a state government chief operating officer.

His recent experience includes:

  • helping multiple governments diagnose, design, and deliver end-to-end redesigns of their permitting processes
  • designing a new personnel and pay system for a state government
  • developing and delivering leadership development programs for multiple state government agencies
  • supporting multiple state government economic development organizations on developing their strategies and the organizational models to deliver them
  • assisting a state government to formulate and implement, first, a comprehensive revamp of its behavioral health strategy and, second, its child and family welfare strategy
  • advising a governor’s office staff and agency directors on the transition to new roles and setting their management agenda

Before joining McKinsey, Drew served in a variety of national security roles in the US government and received Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards from the U.S. Department of State for his service in Washington, DC, and overseas. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Published work

From campaigning to governing: Mapping a governor’s first transition,” McKinsey & Company, June 2025

An inside-out approach to leadership,” McKinsey & Company, May 2025

Capturing performance opportunities in US state and local governments,” McKinsey & Company, April 2025

Deploying generative AI in US state governments: Pilot, scale, adopt,” McKinsey & Company, February 2024

How State Governments Can Address Their Workforce Talent Crisis,” Governing· May 2, 2023

Bridging the talent gap in state government post pandemic,” McKinsey & Company, March 2023

Past Experience

State of Missouri
Chief Operating Officer

The White House
Director, National Security Council

US Department of Defense
Senior Advisor

US Department of State
Member, Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff

Education

Harvard University
PhD, History

Harvard University
AM, History

Oxford University
BA, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Williams College
BA, History and Political Science