With nearly 21,000 employees in over 90 offices in more than 50 countries, Boston Consulting Group ranks as one of America's largest private companies, according to Forbes. The firm partners with leaders in business and society to help them tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. Its clients include many of the world's largest and most influential companies. BCG counts Indra Nooyi, Chairman and former CEO of PepsiCo, Jim Koch, co-founder and chairman of Boston Beer Company, Michelle Peluso, SVP of Digital Sales & CMO of IBM, Marc Bitzer, CEO of Whirlpool, Yasuyuki Higuchi, CEO of Panasonic Corp., and Nneka Rimmer, President of McCormick & Co. among its more than 26,000 alumni around the world.

BCG believes that in order to succeed, organizations must blend digital and human capabilities. 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.

The Henderson legacy

BCG was founded in 1963 by Bruce D. Henderson, a former Bible salesman and Harvard Business School dropout. Challenged by the CEO of The Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company to form a consulting arm for the organization, Henderson responded with an aggressive strategy. While his first month's billings amounted to $500 and his office had a staff of just two by the end of his first year in business, Henderson's subsequent success is impossible to deny-and it was driven largely by expansion. In 1966, BCG became the first Western strategy consulting firm in Japan, and offices throughout Europe soon followed. By 1976, half of the firm's revenue was being generated outside the U.S.—a year after Henderson laid out a plan for employee stock ownership that saw the firm fully owned by BCGers in 1979. Such was Henderson's reputation within the business world that, following his death in 1992, the Financial Times wrote, "few people have had as much impact on international business in the second half of the twentieth century as the founder of The Boston Consulting Group."

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 engages 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.

PTO: Because “always on” is never good

It's no secret that life in a top-tier consulting firm can be demanding. To address the challenges of the job, BCG introduced the concept of PTO (Predictability, Teaming, and Open Communication) to every BCG office. PTO helps 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. The firm strives to drive lasting impact for its employees, clients, and society. These ambitions are embodied by BCG’s Social Impact practice area, which partners with, and connects, leaders from across the private, public, and social sectors to create positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes. BCG delivered more than 700 social impact consulting projects in 2019 to more than 450 clients. Its global social impact partners include Save the Children, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Teach for All. BCG has committed to reaching net-zero climate impact by 2030.