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.
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’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.
Companies’ transformation track records are mixed. Top performers unlock value quickly by focusing on changes that will improve profit margins and valuation multiples.
A CFO must set unique near-term ambitions that are bold enough to motivate employees to achieve their full potential.
By demonstrating results early, new CFOs facilitate their longer-term strategy and transformation efforts, paving the way for growth.
A successful tenure begins with getting to know the finance function and establishing a vision to guide value creation.
Fully integrating human and digital capabilities in the finance function entails a journey best done in three stages: ignite, professionalize, and scale and sustain.
Featured Insights and Perspectives from BCG
The latest insights, ideas, and perspectives from BCG. Explore a cross-section of up-to-date content on the trends shaping the future of business and society.
In order to emerge stronger, companies must ensure that their response to COVID-19 is not just immediate but also transformational.
Companies can no longer simply focus on maximizing total shareholder returns. To win, they must hone sustainable business models.
How are the companies in your industry doing?
Achieving ESG goals and building sustainability as a competitive advantage requires integrating technology and data from the beginning.
Legacy companies with strong digital capabilities are catching up with digital natives.
A successful transformation leads to increased profitability and strategic advances, as our latest survey shows. But not enough companies are getting it right.
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.
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.
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.
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.
By anticipating and addressing key issues, family owners can reduce risk, manage conflict, and promote prosperity.
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.
The principles of time-based competition still hold—but today’s companies must be adaptive, as well as fast, in order to succeed.
BCG founder Bruce Henderson’s rule, conceived in 1976, still holds valuable lessons for companies in many industries.
The growth share matrix—put forth by BCG founder Bruce Henderson in 1970—remains a powerful tool for managing strategic experimentation amid rapid, unpredictable change.