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Three things asset managers should do to capture a disproportionate share of the growing pool of assets seeking both impact and returns.

Douglas Beal leads Boston Consulting Group’s client work with financial institutions on sustainable finance and investing. Prior to his current role, Douglas was the global head for economic development at the firm.

Douglas works with the firm’s largest banking and insurance clients to look beyond corporate social responsibility to total societal impact—which integrates social impact as a source of business value. Douglas works with corporate and investment banks to build and grow sustainable finance across multiple product areas and sectors, including climate transition finance. Douglas also works with investors and wealth managers on sustainable investing strategies and capabilities, with a focus on ensuring material environmental, social, and governance factors are fully integrated into investment processes across all asset classes.

Having lived overseas for 21 years, he has acquired extensive experience on strategies and organizational capabilities advising the private sector, governments, and development organizations in the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He has worked with several nations on their national development strategies and enablers of overall economic and socioeconomic progress.

Douglas is a cocreator of BCG's total societal impact (TSI) approach as well as the firm’s Sustainable Economic Development Assessment (SEDA), a statistical benchmarking tool used by many national government leaders and development organizations to improve economic and socioeconomic conditions. TSI and SEDA have been featured in numerous internationally read business newspapers and magazines, including The Economist and Financial Times.

He has served on the board of Save the Children in Hong Kong and currently sits on the advisory board for the Cornell Center for Global Sustainable Enterprise.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • MBA, with honors, Columbia Business School
  • BS, electrical engineering, Cornell University

Publications and Videos

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Financing the “Just” in Just Transition

A clear framework outlines mechanisms and pathways that unlock more capital to ensure the climate transition is not only green but also equitable.

Agents of Change

Banks might have, more than any other industry, the opportunity to drive social impact on a massive scale. What will it take to unlock these opportunities? BCG’s Doug Beal joins Tom Hall, global head of social impact and philanthropy at UBS, to discuss.

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Banks Can Deliver Both Social Impact and Profits. Here’s How

Financial institutions have a major business opportunity in social impact. A global BCG survey reveals what’s standing in their way—and how they can up their game.
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Private Equity Delivers on Job Growth and Quality, Lags on Board Diversity

Private companies owned by PE firms continue to make progress in key social metrics, including diversity, job growth and safety, and employee engagement.
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The Social Impact Opportunity in Insurance

Insurers are uniquely positioned to help address a growing set of societal challenges for their customers—a rare opportunity for firms to do well by doing good.

How Can Financial Institutions Be Socially Transformative?

BCG’s Douglas Beal discusses how organizations can invest for impact—and in the process, create not only value but also a better world.

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Banks Can Ensure an Equitable Climate Transition

Financial institutions play a powerful role in funding global decarbonization. They can take several steps to ensure that their financing doesn’t worsen social inequity.
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Fixing the Great Disconnect in Sustainable Investing

Corporate leaders have a pivotal role in bridging the divide between institutional sustainability commitments and day-to-day investing practices.
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Banks Can Bet Big on Social Impact

Financial institutions that lead on social tend to outperform. But there is no “net zero” for social—and banks are struggling to seize the opportunity.
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Accelerating Humanitarian and Resilience Investing

An emerging form of blended financing and project structuring reaches out to private sector investors as partners in initiatives to benefit displaced communities.
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A Blueprint for Leading in Sustainable Investing

Asset managers know sustainable investing is the new standard, but finding the best approach is challenging. Firms must change their tactics or risk being left behind.
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Making ESG Your DNA: How Wealth Managers Can Grow Through Sustainability

Rising demand for sustainable investment presents wealth managers with a significant opportunity. For those set to accelerate their efforts, the current period, and its attendant pandemic-related sensitivities, is the ideal time to act.