The So What from BCG
Episodes
How Asia Is Rising as an AI Superpower
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI innovation no longer flows in one direction. Jeff Walters, who leads the AI topic in Asia Pacific, explains why companies across China, India, and ...
AI Profit, Not Pilots: Lessons from Tech, Media and Telecom
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI is no longer a technology experiment—it’s a business imperative. Val Elbert, a member of BCG’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications pra...
High-Performing Leadership Teams Are Built, Not Bought
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a leadership team truly high performing, and why does it matter for the entire organization? Judith Wallenstein, CEO Advisory Global Lead o...
Whatever Happened to the Energy Transition?
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The global energy transition is growing in complexity with shifting economics, soaring electricity demand, and competing national priorities. Maurice ...
Special Episode: Davos Wrap-up
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join several BCG senior partners as they share their insights from their time on the ground at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. BCG i...
Successful CEOs Know That Growth Isn’t Magic. It’s Management.
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
CEOs must pursue growth transformation with the same rigor that they bring when they tackle costs. Tuukka Seppä, BCG’s global chair of transformati...
From the Archive: Winning the Rest of the 20s
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rich Lesser, BCG’s global chair, and Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, reflect on the shocks and surprises that shaped the fir...
The Untapped Market Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many companies have a blind spot when it comes to serving women. In fields from health care to financial services, they often treat women just like me...
Special Announcement: Georgie Frost Wins Lovie Award
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Help us celebrate our very own Georgie Frost, who earned the Bronze Lovie Award for Best Podcast Host thanks to her outstanding work on The So What fr...
How BCG Is Rewriting Its Talent Playbook in the Age of AI
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when AI meets your most human processes like hiring, feedback, and development? Alicia Pittman, BCG’s global people chair, shares how t...
What Sweatpants Can Teach Us about Generational Differences and Segmentation
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Consumer companies are facing a new reality: demand is maturing, competition is intensifying, and generational preferences are diverging. Justin ...
What’s Next in Medtech Matters to Us All
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Medtech is a $900 billion industry transforming how we treat, diagnose, and prevent disease—but its innovation engine is slowing. Vik...
BCG Presents: The CEO Radar
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is rising on the agendas of global CEOs, according to the latest edition of the CEO Radar. But a surprising number of chief executives are still st...
Your Next Business Move Should Be in Orbit
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Space isn’t just for rockets and research anymore. Satellite technology drives precision navigation, automation, and connectivity—quietly powering...
The Button That Broke the Internet (and Built It Too)
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The like button is more than a symbol — it’s a case study in how innovation really happens. Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute...
Cracking the Code of Customer Contradictions
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI and data help tell us what people do, but not why. Lauren Taylor, global leader of BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, makes sense of the mixed si...
M&A Is Heating Up. Is Your Dealmaking Still on Ice?
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
M&A activity is waking up, but many companies are reluctant to leap into the fray. Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transactions and inte...
Don't Be a Statistic. Make Transformation Work.
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Transformation isn’t a gamble—it’s science. Kristy Ellmer, a leader with BCG Transform, unpacks the research behind what really makes change wor...
Become the CEO of Your Health and Longevity
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when people live decades longer than before—but not necessarily healthier? Iana Kouris, customer experience leader at BCG X, explores h...
The Real ROI of AI in Private Equity
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Private equity is under pressure to deliver returns in a tougher environment. Clark O’Niell, BCG’s global lead for AI infrastructure and cyber in ...
Winning the Rest of the 20s
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rich Lesser, BCG’s global chair, and Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, reflect on the shocks and surprises that shaped the fir...
Europe’s Make-or-Break Moment
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Europe is at a tipping point after years of slow growth. Sylvain Duranton, BCG X’s global leader, explains how countries and companies can work toge...
Who Wants to Be a CEO?
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The role of the CEO is both powerful and punishing. Christine Barton, BCG’s CEO Advisory lead in North America, explores how to make the job more fu...
Not All Growth Is Good—Here's How to Get It Right
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Manly, BCG’s lead on growth and innovation, explains how businesses can choose the right growth strategy given their aspirations and position...
BCG Presents: The CEO Radar
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Financial analysts were far more prepared than most CEOs for the US tariffs announced on April 2. Analysts, who serve as a proxy for the financial mar...
Navigating the New World of Tariffs and Trade
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Global trade is entering a new phase marked by unpredictability. Marc Gilbert and Michael McAdoo discuss how companies can respond by building supply ...
Rethinking Global Trade from the South Up
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Global South isn’t standing still as tariffs and uncertainty roil financial markets and business plans. Aparna Bharadwaj, leader of BCG’s Glob...
AI Agents: The Truth Behind the Hype
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nicolas de Bellefonds, BCG’s global AI leader, unpacks the myths, challenges, and real potential of AI agents. They can transform how work gets done...
BCG PRESENTS: Imagine This...: Preparing for an Uncertain Future…in the Future
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By the year 2035, we will likely be able to utilize AI to crunch complex data sets and produce far more accurate predictions of the future, for ...
Does Your Business Know Where Its Money Is Going?
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Karin von Funck, BCG’s global lead for zero-based transformation, explains why great cost transformation goes beyond spreadsheets. The best companie...
Sci-Fi on the Factory Floor
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, extended reality (XR) has waited to find its place in business. New lightweight, AI-enabled headsets are bringing the power of AI to the fr...
Re-Recruiting and Other New HR Strategies You Can’t Ignore
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
HR is no longer just about managing people—it’s about shaping the future of work. Jens Baier, BCG’s HR transformation expert, discusses how AI a...
AI Can Build Your Next Business—If You Think Bigger
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Businesses are overlooking AI’s ability to create entirely new products and businesses. Beth Viner, who leads BCG’s corporate venturing and busine...
Rain or Shine, Deliver Every Time
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Supply chains are more important than ever. Geopolitical shifts and an ever-increasing need to reduce carbon emissions have created new challenges. Ca...
Does Climate Finance Stand a Chance?
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vinay Shandal, BCG’s sustainable investing leader, explains why global competition is both a challenge and a catalyst for clean energy. He talks abo...
From the Archive: Rewire or Retire
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Every Action Has a Supply Chain Reaction
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Home to over half of the world’s supply chain activity, Asia is a complex powerhouse. Bitan Datta, BCG’s Asia Pacific leader in manufacturing and ...
Price, Portfolio, Personalization—New Rules for Consumer Goods
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The consumer goods industry is facing threats from new competitors, inflation, and changes in consumer behavior. Rohan Sajdeh, global leader of BCG’...
Prepared to Pounce: Why CEOs Should Always Be Ready for M&A
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More than half of M&A deals fail, while winning deals can deliver five times the average payoff. Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transac...
How Corporations and Startups Can Collaborate on Green Growth
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hubertus Meinecke, BCG’s global climate and sustainability lead, and Axel Reinaud, CEO of NetZero, discuss what climate startups can learn from larg...
The Chief of Staff: A CEO’s Secret Weapon
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Judith Wallenstein, leader of BCG’s CEO Advisory, explains how chiefs of staff help CEO’s succeed and identify the characteristics that matter mos...
Customer Strategy: It’s Personal
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Abraham, leader of BCG’s Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice in North America, explains how organizations can combine the physical and digi...
Up Close with Our CEO
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ye...
Taking Risk from No to Go
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 or...
BCG Presents: CEO Digest
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Listen as BCG AI conversational agent GENE and editor in chief Paul Michelman highlight the opportunities and obstacles ahead for CEOs, as outlined in...
Rewire or Retire
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Olympics: A Brand’s Golden Opportunity
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 m...
Punch Cards, Frequent Flyers, and the Future of Loyalty
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The average US consumer belongs to around 14 loyalty programs. Edward Crouch, BCG’s global leader for loyalty and membership, explains how unique ex...
Taking the Risk Out of Fair-Chance Hiring
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 par...
The Electric Vehicle Revolution Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Recharging
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Collie, BCG’s global leader for the automotive and mobility sector, explains that price and range anxiety remain as barriers to adoption of el...
Breaking the Bank
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 gro...
Climate Change Is Complex. AI Models Can Crack the Code.
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
Catastrophic Cyber Risk and Crown Jewels
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
Why CEOs Should Embrace Generous Leadership
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
ESG Will Outlive Its Critics
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Responsible investing goes back decades or even longer if pronouncements in the Old Testament and Qur’an are considered. Environment, social, and go...
Imagining a New World Order
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The original BRIC acronym came to life in 2001 to describe the untapped economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. This informal grouping...
BCG PRESENTS: Imagine This...: A Bot in the C-Suite?
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
Gender Equality in Africa Has Been Set Back a Generation
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 pandemi...
Cost Efficiency in Uncertain Times
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For many business leaders, cost efficiency took a backseat to the polycrisis caused by the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and employee attrition....
What You Don't Know About a Quarter of Your Workforce
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 high...
People Will Be the Unsung Heroes of the AI Revolution
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In implementing generative AI, companies are paying too much attention to the algorithms and not enough to the human element. How well are workers equ...
Bonus Davos Episode: Our Global Chair and GenAI Explore the CEO Agenda
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
How CEOs Spend Their Time
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Time is a finite resource. What is the best way to spend it? Bob Sulentic, CEO of the multibillion-dollar company CBRE explains why he deliberately le...
Is It Time for a New You in the New Year?
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As 2023 ends, people look to the new year to become the best version of themselves. Sreyssha George, an expert in technology and people for BCG, expla...
How Marketing Can Change Your Mind
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The human brain is constantly making associations between events, objects, and memories. David Ratajczak, global leader of BCG’s marketing practice,...
To Save the Planet, Move Fast and Clean Things
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A promising $19 trillion has been put toward the energy transition. The bad news? We need $18 trillion more—and that’s just to reach 2030 goals. A...
Do Pharma CEOs Have the Prescription for a Net Zero World?
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of COP28, the UN’s climate conference, we explore the unique ways public-private partnerships help achieve sustainability goals. Lars Fruergaa...
BCG presents: Climate Vision 2050--The Green City in the Sun
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s 2050 and we’re exploring how the world radically reduced carbon emissions and saved itself from climate catastrophe. What have our cities don...
AI Coworkers Are Coming. Here's How to Work with Them.
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are closing in on the first anniversary of the public release of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and GPT-4. And yet the ever-changing field of ...
Zombie Buildings and the Future of Cities
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Downtowns were built for a 9-5 world that no longer exists. Santiago Ferrer, BCG’s North American lead for cities, real estate, and infrastructure d...
The Price Is Not Always Right
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A price is an expression of value and part of a conversation with customers. Jean-Manuel Izaret, BCG’s global leader of pricing, discusses the impor...
Can Joy and Productivity Coexist in the Workplace?
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Should the workplace of the future consist of a mostly in-office, remote, or hybrid model? Deborah Lovich, leader of BCG’s work on people strategy, ...
Can Business Sustain the UN’s Sustainability Goals?
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2015, the UN established Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. In 2023, we are halfway there and have achieved only about 12% of th...
Unexamined Spending Is Wasteful Spending
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cost-cutting gets a bad rap, but the exercise is actually an opportunity to find money that can be reinvested in the business. Mark Austin, BCG’s gl...
From the Archive: What to Teach the World of the Future
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the school year approaches, we are reaching into The So What from BCG archives. Join us as we revisit our examination of why education remains...
How to Run Your Company to Thrive in 2050
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do the top 5% of companies ascend to their spots—and stay there? Extensive BCG research shows that they excel in six areas, among them: focusing...
Who Is Building the Metaverse? And Does It Matter?
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Apotheker, chief marketing officer of BCG and BCGX, and Akbar Hamid, co-founder of People of Crypto Lab, explain how the metaverse can combine...
Designing Your AI Blueprint
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI is evolving daily, challenging businesses to adjust and adapt. Vladimir Lukic, global leader of BCG’s Tech & Digital Advantage practice, demy...
Are Your Employees Captivated or Captured?
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leaders frequently talk about purpose and vision. Too often, these concepts get stuck at the top and do not cascade down throughout the organization. ...
Do We Need Humans Anymore in Customer Journeys?
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Customers are demanding speed and convenience in their interactions with companies. Technology, especially artificial intelligence, is often better at...
The World Is Fragmented, Not Flat
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The post–World War II order of free markets, democratic government, and global institutions is breaking apart, argues Nikolaus Lang, who leads BCG’...
What We Do and Don’t Know About Generative AI
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sylvain Duranton helps companies build AI-enabled businesses. As the the global leader of BCG X, he has a front row seat to the generative AI revoluti...
Leadership in an Era of Uncertainty and Change
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
CEOs generally face either economic uncertainty (the Great Recession) or great change (the digital-driven era preceding the pandemic). Today’s leade...
Social Business Needs a Net Zero
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Companies and banks have often pursued social goals such as financial inclusion as an obligation rather than a business opportunity. Douglas Beal, who...
Financial Crime Is Everybody’s Business
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Financial crime has become big business. The United Nations estimates that 2%–5% of global GDP is laundering every year. If businesses—all busines...
When Shopping and Entertainment Collide
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Indonesia, consumers began mixing together several orders of McDonald’s soft serve ice cream into a dessert mashup. Videos of this quirky develop...
The Return on Inclusion Is Real—and Measurable
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nadjia Yousif, BCG’s chief diversity officer, explains how an inclusive workforce creates happier employees who are more likely to stay—and she ha...
Capitalism and Communities of Color
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
James Lowry has devoted most of his professional life trying to bring corporations and minority communities closer together. While Lowry views many of...
Responsible AI to the Rescue
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence has generated both business rewards and reputational risk for companies. Consumers and customers have legitimate concerns over...
Software Is Eating Your Car
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2011, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen famously declared that “software is eating the world,” meaning it would disrupt traditional industries...
The Digital Divide Is Everybody’s Business
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Three decades after the development of the commercial Internet, nearly half the world’s 8 billion people do not have access to high-speed Internet. ...
Looking Under the Hood of the Wealth Machine
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past 20 years, assets under management of financial firms have nearly quadrupled to more than $110 trillion, powered by the growth in equity ...
Economic Uncertainty Can Be Your Friend
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Linear thinking is valuable when the environment is relatively stable and familiar. But in uncertain economic times, executives also need to think exp...
What COP 27 Means for Africa
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
COP27, the global climate conference in Egypt, represented a mix of accomplishments and frustrations. Wealthy nations agreed to establish a fund to he...
Can Our Green Future Also Be Fair?
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We often hear that the climate transition must also be a just transition. But how can we make that happen when, for example, coal remains both the lar...
BCG Presents: Climate Vision 2050--The Ballad of the Wind Rigger
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s 2050 and we’re exploring how the world radically reduced carbon emissions and saved itself from climate catastrophe. What have our cities don...
Climate Adaptation and the Cost of Inaction
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How well will the world adapt to ever more extreme climate events? To date most government and business leaders are focusing on climate mitigation at ...
Values Are for Everywhere
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Corporate values are more important than ever. Should companies boycott countries with values they do not share? Kushal Khandhar, global Pride@BCG man...
The Economy's Conflicting Signals
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation is higher than it’s been in a generation, but policy makers still have room to maneuver. Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, BCG’s global chief ec...
Talent Hiding in Plain Sight
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are companies looking for talent in all the wrong places? Only 10% of jobs are filled by internal lateral candidates. Companies need better ways to fi...