Nicolai is a partner in McKinsey’s service operations work and QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey. He helps leading institutions transform service operations by scaling AI and generative AI from pilots into production and embedding them in day-to-day work.
Nicolai advises clients on redesigning service operations, building AI-enabled capabilities, and adopting new ways of working across complex frontline and service environments. His work spans customer care, workforce management, capacity planning, coaching, and automation. He helps organizations improve productivity, customer and employee experience, and financial performance while building the operating models needed to sustain impact at scale.
He has led ambitious transformations that combine operations expertise, advanced analytics, technology delivery, and change management. His recent work includes helping organizations deploy AI-powered workforce management, intraday scheduling, personalized coaching, and automation capabilities across large service environments. He is particularly focused on practical applications that move beyond pilots and proofs of concept to create measurable operational impact.
Nicolai also helps shape McKinsey’s thinking on the future of AI-enabled service operations. He has published on AI agents, workforce planning, AI-driven nudges, operations forecasting, and personalized AI-powered training and coaching.
