The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world's leading management consulting firms, announced that Richard I. Lesser is its new President and Chief Executive Officer effective Jan. 1. Elected to the roles in May 2012, Lesser takes the helm as BCG embarks on its 50th year of operation. He lives in New York and will also have an office in Beijing. Lesser succeeded Hans-Paul Bürkner, who will become chairman after serving nine years as president and CEO. Bürkner presided over a highly successful growth period for the firm, during which BCG nearly tripled its revenues. To commemorate its 50th anniversary, BCG is launching a year-long program to celebrate its leadership in the consulting industry and to renew its pledge to help clients build lasting competitive advantage. The aim of the program is to engage leaders on the requirements for success in a world of accelerating change and to recognize those who are “changing the game.” In describing his vision for the firm, Lesser said that BCG, true to its heritage, will work to shape the future of business and society. “Creating sustainable advantage and lasting impact for our clients lies at the heart of our mission,” he said. “Our global footprint in over 40 countries and broad capabilities to drive insight and fundamental change enable us to help leaders solve the full breadth of their most challenging problems. But our mission goes beyond that. We will continue supporting our local communities and partnering with leading global nonprofits to address some of the world's most pressing social issues —such as health, education, food security, and sustainability.” Several factors will drive BCG's growth, Lesser said: “Serving many of our clients globally has been critical to our success, and we see great opportunity to deepen those relationships — and forge new ones — across both developed and developing markets. Volatility, uncertainty, and accelerating change are creating challenges but also tremendous opportunities. BCG will grow strongly by building our capabilities and helping leaders navigate turbulent environments everywhere.” — SG
