The So What from BCG
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.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
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Is Your AI Rollout Built to Fail?
<p>Kristy Ellmer and Julia Dhar, co-authors of How Change Really Works and founders of BCG’s Behavioral Science Lab, explain why so many transformations fail and what the science says separates success from failure. They break down the “messy middle,” why people resist being changed rather than change itself, and how giving employees real agency turns resistance into momentum.</p><p>What You’ll Learn:</p><p>Why “false alignment” among leaders, not resistance from employees, derails most transformations before they start.</p><p>Why giving employees real ownership, not just participation, turns resistance into momentum.</p><p>What makes AI tra...
Retailers Are Drowning in Data. Is AI a Life Preserver?
<p>Nick Goad, BCG's global co-leader for retail merchandising, argues that retail's biggest problem isn't a lack of data, it's the gap between data and real customer understanding. He explains how AI and large language models are finally bridging that divide, making it possible to localize assortment, sharpen pricing, and accelerate product innovation at scale. For leaders wondering where to start, he makes the case for codifying the knowledge already in merchants' heads.</p><p></p><p>What You’ll Learn:</p>Retailers have more data than ever, but AI finally gives them the tools to turn it into action me...
LLM or MD: Who Owns the Patient Journey?
<p>Ben Keneally, BCG’s Asia Pacific health care services leader, explains why AI is now many patients’ first stop — often before they see a doctor. He argues that pairing AI with personal health records improves outcomes and equity, and that health leaders, not LLMs, must shape how this shift unfolds.</p><p>You’ll Learn:</p><p>Why AI is becoming the default first step in care, especially in markets with limited access to clinicians</p><p>How pairing AI with personal health records improves treatment compliance and catches errors earlier</p><p>Why driving AI into end-to-end care pathways...
AI Is Ready for Government. Is Government Ready?
<p>Governments are racing to deploy AI. Most have the foundations, but struggle to translate them into faster, smarter execution without losing public trust. BCG's Miguel Carrasco and Daniel Selikowitz break down what separates the countries getting this right from those still stuck — and what every leader can take from their example.</p><p>You’ll Learn:</p><p>Why AI governance frameworks are quietly becoming the biggest barrier to AI deployment</p><p>How to tell the difference between necessary caution and unnecessary bureaucracy</p><p>How and why some countries are already getting AI governance right</p><p></p><p...
Industry 4.0 Moves to the Great Outdoors
<p>Industry 4.0 is moving beyond factory walls and into farms, forests, and fields.</p><p>David Potere, a senior tech leader in BCG’s Industrial Goods and Climate Change and Sustainability practices, explores AI’s move into the outdoor world. Robotics and connected systems are changing how farming and other outdoor activities get done.</p><p>You’ll Learn:</p><p>Outdoor automation requires AI systems that can operate with constant uncertainty.</p><p>Leaders should rethink long-held operating models as AI and robotics reshape how physical work gets done.</p><p>The most valuable AI systems may be the ones t...
Why Doomsayers Are Wrong About AI Job Loss
<p>AI isn’t replacing jobs the way headlines suggest, but it is changing who keeps them.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>You’ll Learn:</p><p>The real risk: workers who don’t adopt AI will be replaced by those who do.</p><p>How top performers will get more work, no...
CEOs Gamble When They Plan for Just One Future
<p>Navigating uncertainty means one thing: flexibility beats prediction.</p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>You’ll Learn:</p><p>How scenarios connect uncertainty to revenue, risk, and strategy</p><p>How to stress-test your strategy with data-driven foresight</p><p>What separates resilient companies from fragile ones</p><p>How to identify no-regret moves — from supply chain resi...
How AI is Transforming Sales—and What To Do
<p>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.</p><p></p><p>Learn More:</p><p>Japjit Ghai: https://on.bcg.com/48IzJiV</p><p>How AI Agents Will Transform B2B Sales: https://on.bcg.com/4dnWPOr</p><p>How AI Can Reshape Distributed Sales Channels in Emerging Markets: https...
What’s Keeping CEOs Up at Night?
<p>BCG CEO Insomnia Index–Understanding CEO Pressure: More than 70% of CEOs are under chronic stress—but the real sources might surprise you.</p><p>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 remain constant, the real weight is coming from much closer to home: boards, leadership teams, and employees.</p><p>You’ll learn:</p><p>The surprising stakeholders creating the most pressure</p><p>How stress n...
Leading Through Scarcity: Purpose Over Panic
<p>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 make hard calls with confidence. </p><p>Learn More </p><p>John Schreiber, President and CEO, New Jersey Performing Arts Center https://www.njpac.org/about/our-people/ </p><p>Rishi Varma, Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG https://www.bcg.com/ab...
