CEO lessons for navigating constant change: When resources are tight and uncertainty is high, what keeps organizations moving forward? New Jersey Performing Art Center CEO John Schreiber and BCG’s Rishi Varma share how purpose-led strategy, prioritization, and the right partnerships drive growth. Clear, actionable plans grounded in mission give leaders a north star, helping them stay focused and make hard calls with confidence.

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John Schreiber, President and CEO, New Jersey Performing Arts Center https://www.njpac.org/about/our-people/

Rishi Varma, Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/rishi-varma

When Strategy Follows Purpose: The Art of Revival, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/when-strategy-follows-purpose-art-of-revival

BCG's CEO Agenda, https://www.bcg.com/executives/ceo-agenda/insights

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:57 The role of NJPAC

02:33 Why did the organization need to reshape?

05:47 How BCG partnered with NJPAC

07:52 Leading change in a legacy organization

11:16 CEO lessons for navigating constant change

13:28 Building resilience without abundant resources

14:25 How do leaders lead with less?

15:42 When does expanding mission become overreach?

17:36 What should leaders consider before expanding beyond the core?

18:44 How do you build coalitions that unlock real value?

19:54 What impact are you most proud of beyond Newark?

21:23 How do you think about legacy and long-term impact?

23:06 What stands out from disruption and change?

24:45 Outro

Subscribe to BCG’s YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/hsFsVT

Visit us at https://www.bcg.com

AI innovation no longer flows in one direction. Jeff Walters, who leads the AI topic in Asia Pacific, explains why companies across China, India, and Southeast Asia are moving at speed—and in some cases pulling ahead. For CEOs, the real differentiator isn’t geography. It’s leadership ambition, organizational change, and the willingness to rethink knowledge work from the ground up.

Learn more: Jeff Walters, Managing Director & Senior Partner, https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/jeff-walters

AI at Work: Is Asia Pacific Leading the Way? https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/ai-at-work-is-asia-pacific-leading-the-way

The Widening AI Value Gap, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/are-you-generating-value-from-ai-the-widening-gap

Latest Thinking on AI, https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/artificial-intelligence/insights

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:59 AI Evolution Across Asia

03:15 Factors Driving AI Adoption in Asia

04:20 How Do AI Attitudes Differ Globally?

06:00 CEOs’ Priorities to Unlock Value from AI

08:45 Asia’s AI Role vs. Silicon Valley

10:03 Information Asymmetry in AI: East vs. West

10:58 What to Learn from Asia’s AI Ecosystems

11:49 Which Asian Sectors Are Deploying AI Fastest?

13:36 What Are Dark Factories–and Why Do They Matter?

14:04 Who Will Lead AI Transformation over the Next Decade?

15:35 Why Is AI Adoption Slower in Some Asia Pacific Markets?

16:26 Asia Pacific Innovation by Region

17:30 Which Sectors Lead AI Transformation?

19:52 What Steps Should Leaders Take to Accelerate AI Impact?

21:47 The "Now What"

22:35 Outro (edited)

Subscribe to BCG’s YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/hsFsVT Visit us at https://www.bcg.com

AI is no longer a technology experiment—it’s a business imperative. Val Elbert, a member of BCG’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice, explains why CEOs must shift from AI pilots to profit, demand quarterly results from all AI initiatives, and lead cross-functional AI transformations that deliver real bottom-line impact. The winners will scale fast. The rest will be left explaining themselves to investors.

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Val Elbert, BCG Managing Director and Senior Partner, https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/val-elbert

As AI Investments Surge, CEOs Take the Lead, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/as-ai-investments-surge-ceos-take-the-lead

Turning AI Disruption into a Telco's Growth Engine, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/turning-ai-disruption-into-telcos-growth-engine

Driving Growth and Innovation at Verizon Consumer Group, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/driving-growth-innovation-leading-telco

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 00:44 Where TMT companies stand on AI adoption

02:32 The boardroom shift from AI pilots to scale

03:11 Building AI into business agendas

03:49 AI adoption patterns across industries 0

4:37 Leaders need to see quarterly results

05:22 Why AI can't run as a three-year program

05:59 What separates AI winners

07:22 Why structure needs to change

07:52 Where friction blocks AI value creation

09:19 How to focus amid technology noise

10:00 The mindset shift to move from AI pilots to P&L

10:30 What scaling AI in telecom looks like

12:08 The role of humans in an AI-driven operating model

13:28 What the next 18 months will look like

13:55 Will AI drive mergers?

15:10 Is It harder for legacy companies to compete in AI?

15:36 How AI-driven change will impact consumers

16:44 If you're stuck in the pilot phase

17:45 Physical AI at MWC Barcelona

18:11 Outro

Subscribe to BCG’s YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/hsFsVT Visit us at https://www.bcg.com

What makes a leadership team truly high performing, and why does it matter for the entire organization? Judith Wallenstein, CEO Advisory Global Lead of BCG, and Khadija Ben Hammada, Chief People Officer of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, explore this topic and more. They share how CEOs can build executive teams grounded in trust, purpose, and psychological safety. When the top team clicks, the whole company moves faster and with more clarity.

Learn more: https://lnk.to/so-what-general-show32

Learn More:

Judith Wallenstein, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Global Lead, CEO Advisory

https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/judith-wallenstein

Khadija Ben Hammada, Member of the Executive Board and Chief People Officer for Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

https://www.emdgroup.com/en/company/management/executive-board/khadija-ben-hammada.html

Subscribe to BCG’s YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/hsFsVT

Visit us at https://www.bcg.com

Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(00:17) How do you build a high-performing leadership team?

(01:36) What makes a team work?

(02:12) What does a high-performing team feel like?

(03:45) How much of team success depends on the CEO’s behavior and decisions?

(05:55) When hiring, what are you looking for — what’s the secret sauce?

(08:47) What should the CEO–Chief People Officer relationship look like?

(09:50) What did you learn as chief of staff that you apply on an executive team?

(11:42) How do team members to elevate collective performance?

(13:01) How should leadership adapt in an era of uncertainty?

(16:35) How do you keep a team successful when key people move on?

(19:27) What's steps should leaders take now to create a top-performing team?

(21:03) Outro

The global energy transition is growing in complexity with shifting economics, soaring electricity demand, and competing national priorities. Maurice Berns and Asheesh Sastry from BCG’s Center for Energy Impact lay out how leaders can keep up by focusing on the economics, creating strategies for individual markets, and staying ahead of policy shifts.

Learn More:

1. Maurice Berns, Chair, BCG Center for Energy Impact https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/maurice-berns
2. Asheesh Sastry, Managing Director & Senior Partner https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/asheesh-sastry
3. The Energy Transition’s Next Chapter https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/global-energy-landscape-next-chapter
4. BCG Center for Energy Impact https://www.bcg.com/industries/energy/center-for-energy-impact/default
5. About the Energy Transition https://www.bcg.com/industries/energy/energy-transition

Join several BCG senior partners as they share their insights from their time on the ground at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. BCG invites you to an exclusive look at the forces shaping the CEO agenda in 2026.

BCG’s Judith Wallenstein, Aparna Bharadwaj, and Vlad Lukic discuss what they learned from their personal conversations with CEOs and global leaders at Davos. They share practical guidance for organizations preparing for the year ahead in AI, geopolitics, and other areas.

Chapters

Learn more:

BCG at Davos, https://www.bcg.com/about/partner-ecosystem/world-economic-forum/davos

BCG’s CEO Agenda, https://www.bcg.com/executives/ceo-agenda

Judith Wallenstein, Global Leader, CEO Advisory https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/judith-wallenstein

Aparna Bharadwaj, Global Leader, Global Advantage Practice https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/aparna-bharadwaj

Vlad Lukic, Global Leader, Tech and Digital Advantage https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/vladimir-lukic

CEOs must pursue growth transformation with the same rigor that they bring when they tackle costs. Tuukka Seppä, BCG’s global chair of transformation, explains why CEOs need bold targets, smart incentives, and relentless follow-through to scale effectively. He unpacks the common misconceptions that hold companies back, the impact of a chief transformation officer, and why this is the moment to shift from reacting to rebuilding.

Listen on podcast platforms: https://lnk.to/so-what-general-show12

Learn More:

1. Tuukka Seppa: https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/tuukka-seppa
2. BCG’s Latest Thinking on Business Transformation: https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/business-transformation/insights
3. CEO’s Guide to Growth in 2026 article: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/the-ceos-guide-to-growth-seizing-opportunity
4. BCG at Davos 2026: https://www.bcg.com/about/partner-ecosystem/world-economic-forum/davos

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:28–00:55 What’s Your “So What” on Growth?

00:55–01:50 If Growth Is a Strategic Choice, What Does It Take to Succeed?

01:50–03:16 Why Do Some Companies Grow During Extreme Volatility?

03:16–04:13 What Does Structured Growth Leadership Look Like in Practice?

04:13–05:12 Can Too Much Discipline Limit Growth in a Volatile World?

05:12–06:03 How Do You Build Flexibility and Adaptability into Growth?

06:03–07:36 Is It Obvious Where Growth Should Come From? How Do Leaders Decide What Good Growth Is?

07:36–10:20 Why Do Two-Thirds of Companies Miss Growth Targets?

10:20–11:05 What Does “Growing from a Strong Base” Mean?

11:05–12:35 How Do You Measure Growth Without Killing It Too Early?

12:35–13:55 How Important Is a Chief Transformation Officer?

13:55–14:37 What Buffers Matter for Growth — and Why Now?

14:37–16:06 What’s the Typical Timeline for a Growth Transformation?

16:06–17:54 What Unlocks the Shift from Efficiency to Growth?

17:54–19:48 What Role Can AI Play in Accelerating Growth?

19:48–20:41 When Is the Right Time to Start a Growth Program?

20:41–21:33 The ‘Now What’

21:21–21:33 Outro

Rich Lesser, BCG’s global chair, and Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, reflect on the shocks and surprises that shaped the first half of the decade and what they reveal about the future. They explore the traits leaders need today: building trust, staying geopolitically aware, and adopting AI in a people-centered way.

Learn More:

Rich Lesser: https://on.bcg.com/4lZrWla

Martin Reeves: https://on.bcg.com/4lXaAVX

Winning in the 20s: https://on.bcg.com/4lpe1oo

Winning the ’20s: A Leadership Agenda for the Next Decade: https://on.bcg.com/40iscDs