New York Hires McKinsey to Create 'Bulletproof' Reopening Plan

The state of New York has enlisted McKinsey & Co. to help craft a plan to reopen businesses once the coronavirus outbreak winds down, which the intention of making it impossible for President Donald Trump to interfere.

“We think Trump ultimately will blink on this, but if not, we need to push back, and we are reaching out to top experts and other professionals to come up with a bullet-proof plan,” to reopen the state, an unidentified adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNBC.

The governor also has recalled several former aides to help with the plan, including Blackstone Group senior adviser Bill Mulrow, executive vice president and CEO of MacAndrews & Forbes Inc. Steven Cohen, and deputy Westchester County executive Larry Schwartz.

An aide to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that the hope is to “Trump-proof” the plan, which should be science-based and focused on a safe reopening. Along with Deloitte, McKinsey will develop a plan for the East Coast region, including several nearby states, with McKinsey producing models based on testing, infections and other data.

“McKinsey, like so many other businesses, is committed to supporting the response to the crisis,” said a spokesperson for the company.

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