The So What from BCG

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 transactions and integrations, explains the importance of a clear plan, thoughtful choice of targets, and strong teamwork. Finally, if company cultures don’t mesh, even the strongest financial deals won’t create lasting value. 

Learn More: 

Daniel Friedman: https://on.bcg.com/3V2Wlnp 

M&A Activity by Year: The BCG M&A Report Collection: https://on.bcg.com/3OdAV3j 

BCG on M&A: https://on.bcg.com/4hYkp4y 

CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/TSWMoT 

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: https://netzero.green/en/team/ 

NetZero: https://netzero.green/en/ 

Green Growth Accelerator: https://on.bcg.com/4furqrQ 

CEO Moments of Truth https://on.bcg.com/TSWMoT 

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: https://on.bcg.com/3NowT7K 

CEO Moments of Truth https://on.bcg.com/TSWMoT 

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: https://on.bcg.com/3zVUEAN 

BCG on Personalization: https://on.bcg.com/4eRv1QK 

CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/TSWMoT 

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: https://on.bcg.com/3MU8eaZ 

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

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 (https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/ai-at-work-friend-foe) 

M&A Insights H1 2024: The Recovery Continues (https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/m-and-a-market-insights-series-h1-2024) 

Prudence, Profits, and Growth (https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/global-fintech-prudence-profits-and-growth) 

Boosting Demand for Carbon Dioxide Removal (https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/boosting-demand-for-carbon-dioxide-removal) 

Subscribe to CEO Digest: https://link.chtbl.com/ceo-digest-bcg-show

For more insight from BCG on the CEO Agenda, visit https://on.bcg.com/4cSLtiu. 

Hear more of GENE on Imagine This… at https://link.chtbl.com/imagine-this-show-link, BCG’s future-focused podcast series. 

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 the Age of AI: https://hbr.org/2023/09/reskilling-in-the-age-of-ai

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