David Kirchhoff

David Kirchhoff first joined Boston Consulting Group in 1994 as a member of the Chicago and then Washington D.C. offices. Dave left BCG in 1998 to join PepsiCo, beginning 20-years of working in operating leadership roles. During this time, he held CEO roles for 13 years in companies from startup to growth, and more than six years as CEO and board member of Weight Watchers International, a major public company operating in over 25 countries. Dave returned to BCG in 2019 as a core member of BCG TURN, the firm’s accelerated transformation and turnaround unit. Throughout his career, including while at BCG, he has worked with companies in the consumer service, industrial goods, consumer goods, and retail industries.

Dave has led major transformations, including digital transformations, for private equity backed companies ranging from startups to growth equity to multi-national.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

MBA, high honors, University of Chicago
BS, biomedical and electrical engineering, Duke University

Publications and Videos

AI Is Revolutionizing How Companies Manage Transformations

Analyzing massive data sets in real time, generating unbiased insights, enabling prompt course correction: an AI-based approach is powering up—and radically transforming—initiative management.

How the Best Set Up Their Program Journey

Only a third of corporate transformations succeed, but two early decisions can help you buck the odds. A new BCG series, “Transformation Revisited,” shows how.

The First 100 Days Make or Break Your Transformation

If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. What do companies focus on in the critical early stages to ensure a successful transformation?

Don’t Settle for Anything Less Than Full-Potential PMI

Transformation initiatives that go beyond the merger synergies of integrating two organizations are crucial to position the new company for outsize performance.

How to Help Your Chief Transformation Officer Win

Corporations need to constantly transform themselves. Our global research on 2,000 transformations confirms that establishing the role of a chief transformation officer (CTO) is a key success factor in this journey. In this LABtalk, you will learn how you and your case team can help CTOs be successful by leveraging BCG’s offering.

Lessons for Chief Transformation Officers from Mount Everest

Like a CTO, the leader of an alpine climb must marshal all of his or her skills in program design, motivation, and contingency planning to tip the odds toward success.