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BCG in the 2010s

By the 2010s, BCG was already established as a trusted global advisor with broad capabilities and expertise across a wide range of industries and functions. However, ongoing waves of market disruption and constantly evolving technology highlighted the need for rapid adaptation. Building on the entrepreneurial energy of its people, BCG accelerated capability building through organic growth, acquisition, and doubling down on people development.

The years 2010–2019 were also when BCG formalized its leadership in digital and artificial intelligence. Building on its success in technology, the firm globalized BCG Platinion; launched several digital capability brands, including BCG Digital Ventures (its venture-building arm) and BCG Gamma (its AI, data, and product arm); and acquired several businesses, including Expand, Inverto, and MAYA. BCG also embedded tech and digital into its practice areas and was a founding partner in tech venture fund B Capital.

Work in the digital and AI space included the launch of new ventures with clients, some of them unicorns, and development of differentiated digital products to accelerate time to value. Among these products were Formation (personalization engine), Catalyst (data-driven marketing and pricing solution), and Source AI (an AI solutions platform later acquired by DataRobot in an industry-first joint venture).

BCG had long been dedicated to making the world a better place as a firm and with its clients. In the 2010s, it set up structural mechanisms to further its commitment to social impact and climate with the creation of a new SI practice area and new partnerships across the private, public, and social sectors.

BCG’s expansion spanned more than just client offerings and capabilities. Over the decade, the firm experienced unprecedented growth in the number of employees and the diversity of its teams, along with growth in its centers, partnerships, and office footprint.

  • The number of BCG employees tripled, and their career paths broadened significantly, spanning consulting data science consulting, human-centric design, and more
  • The number of managing directors and partners (MDPs) increased by 2.3 times, with female MDPs growing by 4.7 times
  • The geographic footprint grew by 35% to 94 cities
  • New centers included the BCG Henderson Institute, the Center for Consumer Insight, the Innovation Center for Operations, the ValueScience Center, and many more

BCGers were increasingly in the spotlight and looked to for their expertise at events like the World Economic Forum (WEF), B20, Business Roundtable, and BDI and in seats at some of the most powerful tables around the globe.

Committed to carrying out the legacy of its founder, Bruce Henderson, BCG formalized its purpose of “unlocking the potential of those who advance the world,” which, though foundational, had yet to be made explicit. The firm continued to win recognition in the market for its internal achievements—for example, being rated as one of the best companies to work for by various business publications—as well as its achievements in the market (being chosen, for example, as a leader in digital strategy consulting).

BCG Books Published in the 2010s

BCG’s Growth in the 2010s

From 2009 to 2019, BCG’s workforce tripled in size, from 6,900 to 21,000 employees worldwide. By the end of the decade, BCG was present in more than 90 offices in over 50 countries.