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The So What from BCG

The So What from BCG

Boston Consulting Group BCG 130 episodes Latest May 19, 2026

This podcast from Boston Consulting Group looks around the corner of today’s big business and social issues. The goal–the so what–is to make sense of today and prepare busy leaders and executives for the day after tomorrow. Award-winning British journalist Georgie Frost interviews the leading thinkers and doers at BCG on the trends, developments, and ideas that will shape and disrupt the future. This is not your typical business strategy podcast.

Episodes

Why Doomsayers Are Wrong About AI Job Loss Jun 3, 2026 22:44 AI isn’t replacing jobs the way headlines suggest, but it is changing who keeps them.Greg Emerson, BCG’s global leader of technology and AI investing, explains why AI will reshape three to four times more jobs than it replaces. He argues that fears of mass unemployment are overblown and the real challenge for leaders is redesigning roles, workflows, and mindsets.You’ll Learn:The real risk: workers
CEOs Gamble When They Plan for Just One Future May 20, 2026 17:11 Navigating uncertainty means one thing: flexibility beats prediction.Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, looks 25 years into the future, breaking down what four plausible scenarios mean for GDP growth, work hours, and defense spending. He explains what CEOs can do today to prepare for the faraway future.You’ll Learn:How scenarios connect uncertainty to revenue, risk, and s
How AI is Transforming Sales—and What To Do May 6, 2026 19:42 Sales teams are no longer defined by a few superstar performers. Japjit Ghai, who leads BCG’s AI efforts for sales globally, explains how AI is reshaping the entire sales workflow—from lead prioritization to real-time coaching and closing the deal. Winners won’t bolt on tools. They’ll integrate AI and agents from end to end.Learn More:Japjit Ghai: https://on.bcg.com/48IzJiVHow AI Agents Will Trans
What’s Keeping CEOs Up at Night? Apr 22, 2026 22:19 BCG CEO Insomnia Index–Understanding CEO Pressure: More than 70% of CEOs are under chronic stress—but the real sources might surprise you.Drawing on BCG’s CEO Insomnia Index, Judith Wallenstein and Christine Barton unpack what’s driving the pressure, why it’s coming from closer than expected, and how it’s starting to impact decision-making at the top. While performance, growth, and cost pressures
Leading Through Scarcity: Purpose Over Panic Apr 8, 2026 25:02 CEO lessons for navigating constant change: When resources are tight and uncertainty is high, what keeps organizations moving forward? New Jersey Performing Art Center CEO John Schreiber and BCG’s Rishi Varma share how purpose-led strategy, prioritization, and the right partnerships drive growth. Clear, actionable plans grounded in mission give leaders a north star, helping them stay focused and m
How Asia Is Rising as an AI Superpower Mar 25, 2026 22:52 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 Southeast Asia are moving at speed—and in some cases pulling ahead. For CEOs, the real differentiator isn’t geography. It’s leadership ambition, organizational change, and the willingness to rethink knowledge work from the ground up.Learn more: Jeff
AI Profit, Not Pilots: Lessons from Tech, Media and Telecom Mar 10, 2026 18:28 AI is no longer a technology experiment—it’s a business imperative. Val Elbert, a member of BCG’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice, explains why CEOs must shift from AI pilots to profit, demand quarterly results from all AI initiatives, and lead cross-functional AI transformations that deliver real bottom-line impact. The winners will scale fast. The rest will be left explaining
High-Performing Leadership Teams Are Built, Not Bought Feb 25, 2026 21:19 What makes a leadership team truly high performing, and why does it matter for the entire organization? Judith Wallenstein, CEO Advisory Global Lead of BCG, and Khadija Ben Hammada, Chief People Officer of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, explore this topic and more. They share how CEOs can build executive teams grounded in trust, purpose, and psychological safety. When the top team clicks, the who
Whatever Happened to the Energy Transition? Feb 11, 2026 24:23 The global energy transition is growing in complexity with shifting economics, soaring electricity demand, and competing national priorities. Maurice Berns and Asheesh Sastry from BCG’s Center for Energy Impact lay out how leaders can keep up by focusing on the economics, creating strategies for individual markets, and staying ahead of policy shifts.Learn More:Maurice Berns, Chair, BCG Center for
Special Episode: Davos Wrap-up Jan 28, 2026 23:21 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 invites you to an exclusive look at the forces shaping the CEO agenda in 2026. BCG’s Judith Wallenstein, Aparna Bharadwaj, and Vlad Lukic discuss what they learned from their personal conversations with CEOs and global leaders at Davos. They share pra
Successful CEOs Know That Growth Isn’t Magic. It’s Management. Jan 14, 2026 21:33 CEOs must pursue growth transformation with the same rigor that they bring when they tackle costs. Tuukka Seppä, BCG’s global chair of transformation, explains why CEOs need bold targets, smart incentives, and relentless follow-through to scale effectively. He unpacks the common misconceptions that hold companies back, the impact of a chief transformation officer, and why this is the moment to shi
From the Archive: Winning the Rest of the 20s Dec 31, 2025 26:28 Rich Lesser, BCG’s global chair, and Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, reflect on the shocks and surprises that shaped the first half of the decade and what they reveal about the future. They explore the traits leaders need today: building trust, staying geopolitically aware, and adopting AI in a people-centered way.Learn More:Rich Lesser: https://on.bcg.com/4lZrWlaMartin Ree

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