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Ulrich Villis leads The Boston Consulting Group’s Social Impact practice in Europe, focusing on organizations in the nonprofit, government, and corporate social-responsibility sectors. He is also a member of BCG’s People & Organization and Strategy practices.

Since joining BCG in 1998, Ulrich has worked with global organizations, foundations, and corporations on a wide range of topics, including strategy development, organization design, impact management, and people development.

Ulrich has written for multiple publications on global development and impact management. He is on the editorial advisory board of the Social Business Journal.

Ulrich has lived and worked across the US, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • Master’s degree, industrial engineering and economics, University of Karlsruhe
  • MBA, University of Ottawa
  • Research program, economics, Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po)

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Erich Gutenberg Award for developing and implementing a new value management concept, 2001

Publications and Videos

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Ending Child Hunger with Smart Simplicity

Chronic child hunger is one of the world’s most complex problems. Smart Simplicity can be a powerful tool to use when tackling it.
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BCG’s Approach to Achieving Social Impact

At BCG, our social impact work is about making a positive, tangible, and lasting difference in our world. Here we highlight a few of these projects.
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The Value of Social Business

Social businesses, which bridge the business and social sectors, offer lessons in delivering social impact alongside commercial benefits.
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Making a Difference 2014: Shaping the Future. Together.

At BCG, we believe that the same insights and approaches we use to solve business problems are applicable to social problems.

Profiling Ten Grameen Social Businesses

With their focus on social impact and self-sustainability, social businesses can theoretically provide solutions to almost any social problem. BCG examines ten to understand their efficiency, effectiveness, and financial stability.
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The Power of Social Business

Applying business principles to social problems can significantly increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and financial sustainability of the solutions. Social businesses, which bridge the business and social sectors, offer lessons in delivering social impact alongside commercial benefits.
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Global Food Security

Achieving universal food security will require every bit of agricultural, technological, and economic innovation possible. Businesses will need to play a key role.