BCG believes that organizations must blend digital and human capabilities in order to succeed. The firm’s diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives to spark change through leading-edge management consulting as well as data science, technology and design, digital ventures, and business purpose. Its collaborative approach within and beyond the firm delivers results that enable its clients to thrive. That said, the firm still believes in responsible technology: 100 percent of generative AI projects are reviewed by the firm’s Responsible AI team to ensure ethical and effective implementation.

The Henderson legacy 

BCG was founded in 1963 by Bruce D. Henderson. Bruce left Harvard Business School 90 days before graduation to join the Westinghouse Corporation, where he worked for 18 years. After being challenged by the CEO of The Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company to form a consulting arm for the organization, Henderson responded by focusing their specialty on strategy.

He drove business expansion through a new approach to marketing a consulting firm: “Perspectives,” which were brief and highly provocative essays on strategy. BCG published these essays in a user-friendly brochure format. Soon Henderson and his colleagues were delivering competitive differentiation through ideas such as the growth share matrix and time-based competition. Many of the phrasings he used, like “stars” and “cash cows,” to describe businesses with different prospects became fixtures in the hallways and the board rooms of big business and are now fixtures in business school curriculums.

Henderson pursued a growth strategy for independence and global reach. In 1966, BCG became the first Western strategy consulting firm in Japan, and by 1976, half of the firm’s revenue was being generated outside the U.S. In 1974, Henderson made BCG an independent business and retained only 5 percent ownership, laying out a plan for employee stock ownership that saw the firm fully owned by BCGers in 1979. 

In 1998, BCG established the BCG Henderson Institute, a strategy think tank dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute continues Henderson’s legacy by engaging leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business.

Teaming@BCG: Because “always on” is never good 

It’s no secret that life in a top-tier consulting firm can be demanding, and that building a strong team environment is critical to success. To address the challenges of the job, BCG introduced the concept of “teaming” with Teaming@BCG. The program is designed to help teams align on expectations before their projects start—and ensures they maintain them throughout—making work more productive and sustainable long-term through ongoing transparency and regular check-ins. BCG’s flexibility and wellness programs, and robust time off benefits, further empower BCGers to balance their work and personal priorities. 

Living its values and purpose 

BCG’s purpose is to unlock the potential of those who advance the world. Both through its client work and through the transformation of its own operations, the firm addresses important societal and environmental sustainability challenges to help shape a brighter future for society, business, the planet, and its 8 billion people. In 2020 alone, BCG delivered about more than 3,000 social impact cases. Within the social sector, it engages an ecosystem of partners who deliver tremendous impact at scale, including the World Food Programme, WWF, and Save the Children. BCG estimates that its work unlocked more than 400 metric tons of carbon savings by 2030.