Value Creation

To Defeat an Activist Investor, Think Like One

The worst question an activist can ask is the one you haven’t thought about. With activism on the rise, leaders need to put their plans to the test and be ready to defend them.

BCG Investor Perspectives Series

BCG’s latest research finds investors increasingly bearish on the economy and the stock market—and they want businesses to focus on both liquidity and long-term advantage.

Put Value Creation at the Center of Your Transformation

Companies’ transformation track records are mixed. Top performers unlock value quickly by focusing on changes that will improve profit margins and valuation multiples.

CFO Excellence

A Resilient Balance Sheet Pays Off in Uncertain Times

Companies can gain breathing room to operate under stressful conditions; withstand the scrutiny of shareholders, creditors, and regulators; and pursue market opportunities.

The CFO as the Architect of Zero-Based Transformation

The best approach to zero-based transformation comes from treating all spending as investment and making the CFO a key strategist for generating value.

Finance Functions Need More Women Leaders. Here’s Why.

Companies can use the disruptive power of gender diversity to elevate innovation, resilience, and financial performance to new levels.

Why CFOs Should Lead the Sustainability Charge

Sustainability has become inseparable from financial success, making finance leaders key players. Only they can hardwire this new priority into steering and performance management.

Peter Altmaier Is Optimistic About Europe’s Economy

In an interview with BCG’s Jens Kengelbach, Altmaier points out that Europe has successfully overcome past crises. Nonetheless, it should accelerate efforts to mitigate climate change.

Business Strategy

Use Climate Action to Gain Efficiency, Talent, and Growth

Companies can gain significant competitive advantage by investing aggressively in sustainability today.

Why the New Competitive Advantage Demands Sustainability

Companies can no longer simply focus on maximizing total shareholder returns. To win, they must hone sustainable business models.

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy

Learn how to choose and execute the right approach for your business’ success.

Digital Strategy and AI

What the Data Tells Us About Digital Transformation, by Industry

How are the companies in your industry doing?

The Five Digital Building Blocks of a Corporate Sustainability Agenda

Achieving ESG goals and building sustainability as a competitive advantage requires integrating technology and data from the beginning.

The Rise of the Digital Incumbent

Legacy companies with strong digital capabilities are catching up with digital natives.

Performance and Innovation Are the Rewards of Digital Transformation

A successful transformation leads to increased profitability and strategic advances, as our latest survey shows. But not enough companies are getting it right.

BCG Executive Perspectives: The CEO’s Dilemma

In this series, we examine the disruptive forces that are bearing down on business leaders today, so that they can understand where opportunities exist amid the uncertainty.

Strategic Planning

Bold Plans Do Not Come from Old Planning Processes

In this pandemic year, leaders who embrace bold vision-setting, backstopped by robust analysis, can create a once-in-a-career opportunity to change the trajectory of their organizations.

Building Your Uncertainty Advantage

For some companies, disruption is a risk to be avoided. For others, it’s an opportunity to be embraced. With better sensing, modeling, and planning capabilities, businesses can use upheaval as a catapult to success.

Can Your Strategy Survive These Four Futures?

BCG’s global expert on scenarios and creativity, Alan Iny, takes you on a tour of four distinct and plausible future competitive environments—and offers perspectives on how to shape smart strategies in the face of uncertainty.

Family Business

The Soft Rules of Family Businesses

Conflicts arising from emotions are rarely about material issues like money or other matters of self-interest. These "soft" issues are often harder to resolve than the "hard" stuff.

Great Family Businesses Need Good Governance

By anticipating and addressing key issues, family owners can reduce risk, manage conflict, and promote prosperity.

BCG Classics Revisited

BCG Classics Revisited: The Experience Curve

The experience curve theory still holds, particularly in specific industries. But to succeed in today’s environment, many companies need to develop an additional kind of experience.

BCG Classics Revisited: Time-Based Competition

The principles of time-based competition—a classic concept among BCG insights—still hold. But today’s companies must be adaptive, as well as fast, in order to succeed.

BCG Classics Revisited: The Rule of Three and Four

BCG founder Bruce Henderson’s rule, conceived in 1976, still holds valuable lessons for companies in many industries.

BCG Classics Revisited: The Growth Share Matrix

The growth share matrix—put forth by the founder of BCG, Bruce Henderson, in 1970—remains a powerful tool for managing strategic experimentation amid rapid, unpredictable change.