Hubertus Meinecke, BCG’s global climate and sustainability lead, and Axel Reinaud, CEO of NetZero, discuss what climate startups can learn from large corporations and vice versa. Corporations have capital that startups need but take a long time to make decisions. Startups are fast moving and have strong technical skills but are short on the capital that large corporations can provide.   Learn More:  Hubertus Meinecke: https://on.bcg.com/3AqhSzp  Axel Reinaud:...

Judith Wallenstein, leader of BCG’s CEO Advisory, explains how chiefs of staff help CEO’s succeed and identify the characteristics that matter most in this role. The best chiefs of staff have integrity, confidence, and a selfless commitment to their boss —becoming part of a CEO’s inner circle by staying out of the spotlight.  Learn More:  Judith Wallenstein: https://on.bcg.com/402EekT  CEO Agenda: https://on.bcg.com/400T1MM  How CEOs Can Find the Right Chief of Staff:...

Mark Abraham, leader of BCG’s Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice in North America, explains how organizations can combine the physical and digital to create powerful customer experiences. As co-author of the new book Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI, Abraham explains that few actually hit the mark—wasting resources and leaving customers disappointed.  Learn More:  Mark Abraham: https://on.bcg.com/3NdACFc  Read Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI:...

What are today’s big business challenges and why is it a great time to be a CEO? Christoph Schweizer talks about what he has learned in his three years at the helm.     Hear Christoph’s insights on how CEOs navigate difficult decisions, including his own "moment of truth" when he faced a critical challenge.    Learn More:  Watch Christoph's one-on-one discussions with CEOs: https://on.bcg.com/TSWMoT  Explore the latest for CEOs from CEOs: https://on.bcg.com/4exCwvS  Christoph Schweizer:...

Can risk management evolve from a check-the-box exercise into a driver of innovation? Tad Roselund, BCG’s former chief risk officer, explains how organizations can create advantage by anticipating challenges, training employees to spot risks, and balancing prevention with recovery.  Learn More:  Tad Roselund: https://on.bcg.com/3WR4Ge2   BCG on Risk and Compliance: https://on.bcg.com/3Toc1RB  CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/TSWMoT This podcast uses the following third-party...

Listen as BCG AI conversational agent GENE and editor in chief Paul Michelman highlight the opportunities and obstacles ahead for CEOs, as outlined in BCG’s most recent thought leadership. The duo share which steps to take now before an expected M&A resurgence, the lessons to be learned from fintech, and how to advance carbon dioxide reduction.  LEARN MORE  After you listen, dive deep into the details in these bcg.com publications:  AI at Work 2024: Friend and Foe...

One in every three people will likely find their jobs significantly disrupted by AI in the next decade. Sagar Goel, leader of BCG’s work in digital reskilling and leadership development, talks about the role of the public and private sectors in preparing employees for this exciting, uncertain, and sometimes frightening world.    Learn More:  Sagar Goel: https://on.bcg.com/46D3O12  Sagar’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC1QlUr5mCE  BCG on AI: https://on.bcg.com/3SClDaT  Reskilling...

In a world of microtargeted ads and niche audiences, sports remain one of the few remaining opportunities for brands to capture the attention of the masses. Dan Wald, global lead of BCG’s sports business, talks about how the Olympics works to stay relevant in a fragmented world. How can businesses and sports leagues incorporate this success into their current strategies?      Learn More:  Dan Wald: https://on.bcg.com/4dfqw1g  Marketing and Sales: https://on.bcg.com/46jJ7Hx  This podcast...

The average US consumer belongs to around 14 loyalty programs. Edward Crouch, BCG’s global leader for loyalty and membership, explains how unique experiences and personalization can convert everyday customers into loyal fans.      Learn More:  Edward Crouch: https://on.bcg.com/3zgpaF0  Loyalty Programs Need Next-Generation Design: https://on.bcg.com/4chjlWy  Travel and Tourism: https://on.bcg.com/3KXgJ3X  This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable -...

One in every three US adults has a criminal record that follows them like a lead weight as they look for work. Lina Bankert, managing director and partner in BCG’s Chicago office, and Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, president and CEO of Cara Collective, explain that formerly incarcerated people can be model employees. Hiring always involves risk. By partnering with government agencies and nonprofit organizations, companies can set up fair-chance hires for success in the workplace. Many of them,...

Brian Collie, BCG’s global leader for the automotive and mobility sector, explains that price and range anxiety remain as barriers to adoption of electric vehicles. Even so, recent BCG research in the US found that nearly 40% of surveyed consumers are considering a switch to electric for their next vehicle. To tap into that demand, manufacturers need to lower their cost structure—they currently lose $6,000-$30,000 per car—and work with partners. Learn More: Brian Collie:...

Banks and other financial systems are the lifeblood of the economy. But most of them trade at less than book value, constrained by regulation, the growth of private credit, and tech startups. Kilian Berz, global vice chair of BCG’s financial institutions practice, explains how traditional banks can regain their footing through leadership and transformation. Learn More: Kilian Berz:https://on.bcg.com/4bDKQcj  Financial Institutions: https://on.bcg.com/3wLmFK5  To Seize a $7 Trillion...

Current economic models are not up to the challenge of capturing the real-world complexities of climate change. But better models are on the horizon. Sophia Davies, BCG’s lead for climate tech partnerships, explains how AI can supercharge these models to predict how public policies will motivate the private sector. Early returns suggest we may be vastly underestimating the effect of policy on climate change.         Learn More:  Climate and Sustainability: on.bcg.com/3QOGjeX  AI:...

If cybercrime were a country, it would be the third largest economy in the world. Paul O’Rourke, BCG’s global cybersecurity leader, explains how organizations can protect themselves and their supply chains: Start by recognizing that the elimination of all risks is impossible. Instead focus security efforts on an organization’s “crown jewels”—its most critical digital assets. Leaders don’t need to be cyber experts. But regulators may hold them responsible for some breaches, so they better...

Joe Davis, BCG’s former regional chair for North America, says you can make tough decisions without being a “tough guy.” In the executive suite, empathy and authenticity are in, according to Davis, the author of the new business book, The Generous Leader.  Even as tech skills dominate the headlines, Davis celebrates the enduring value of mastering people skills.  Learn More:    The Generous Leader: A Leadership Book by Joe Davis | The Generous Leader  Joe Davis:...

Responsible investing goes back decades or even longer if pronouncements in the Old Testament and Qur’an are considered. Environment, social, and governance goals have become embedded in corporate strategy, even if the acronym ESG has become polarizing. Tim Mohin, director of climate and sustainability at BCG, discusses this evolution and what the next iteration might look like. One thing is clear: these goals aren’t going away even if companies stop talking about them.         Learn...

The original BRIC acronym came to life in 2001 to describe the untapped economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This informal grouping of nations has since coalesced into a rising economic force, especially since the entry of South Africa in 2010 and Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates at the start of this year. Daniel Azevedo—leader of BCG’s global advantage practice in Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Africa —explains how global companies can...

What would you have done differently if you had anticipated the likelihood of a global pandemic or the explosion of generative AI? In BCG’s newest podcast Imagine This..., BCG’s editor in chief Paul Michelman, and his AI co-host GENE delve into disruptive scenarios that could define the coming decades. BCG experts join the conversation, probing the possibilities and implications for leaders. Human and machine work together to explore the very real actions CEOs could take today to...

One in every three US adults has a criminal record that follows them like a lead weight as they look for work. Lina Bankert, managing director and partner in BCG’s Chicago office, and Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, president and CEO of Cara Collective, explain that formerly incarcerated people can be model employees. Hiring always involves risk. By partnering with government agencies and nonprofit organizations, companies can set up fair-chance hires for success in the workplace. Many of them,...

From 2010 to 2016, Africa was closing the gender gap faster than any region in the world. Challenges such as plunging commodity prices and the pandemic have set that progress back a generation. BCG’s Zineb Sqalli and Phillipa Osakwe-Okoye explain that domestic violence as well as unsafe public places are barriers in southern Africa. Traditional roles of women in families stand in the way of progress everywhere. Both public and private sectors must change the narrative to create inclusive work...

For many business leaders, cost efficiency took a backseat to the polycrisis caused by the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and employee attrition. But today, earnings pressures and economic uncertainty place cost solidly front and center at most companies. Paul Goydan, global leader of BCG’s Accelerated Cost Advantage program, arms these leaders with insights and approaches, exploring everything from how AI can uncover waste to finding promising places to reinvest the savings.   Learn...

Most companies have no idea how many of their employees live with a disability. Most organizations report 4-7%, but BCG research says it’s much higher—25%. And that percentage is only going to climb as the workforce ages. Brad Loftus and Hillary Wool are both high-performing consultants who live with disabilities. They discuss why companies are so misinformed and explore how leaders can provide reasonable and cost-effective accommodations—and increase inclusion and retention.     Learn...

In implementing generative AI, companies are paying too much attention to the algorithms and not enough to the human element. How well are workers equipped to use it—and use it responsibly? Allison Bailey, global leader for BCG’s people and organization practice, discusses the need for upskilling and reskilling in not just technology, but also being adaptive, creative, and collaborative. Businesses must also train their employees to incorporate AI into their daily routine—and learn when the...

In this special episode of The So What from BCG, human and AI intelligence come together. Join BCG’s Global Chair Rich Lesser, and GENE, BCG’s new GenAI conversational agent, for a wide-ranging exploration of the CEO agenda as world leaders gather at Davos. Rich and GENE discuss the transformative power of generative AI technology, the urgency of climate action, and the critical need for trust in an era of innovation. If you’re invested in the future of business and society, this is a...