Rich Lesser
{{short description|American businessman (born 1962)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rich Lesser
| image = Photo of Rich Lesser - World Economic Forum.JPG
| caption = Lesser in 2012
| birth_date = {{bya|1962}}
| occupation = Management consultant, strategist
| citizenship = American
| title = Global Chair
| employer = Boston Consulting Group
| education = University of Michigan (BS)
Harvard University (MBA)
}}
Richard Lesser (born 1962) is an American businessman who has been the chair of American management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG) since 2021. He previously was CEO from 2013 to 2021.{{cite web |title=Rich Lesser; World Economic Forum |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/rich-lesser/ |website=World Economic Forum |access-date=16 October 2020}}
Early life and education
Lesser grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the 1970s,{{cite web |last1=Schmitt |first1=Jeff |title=Executive Q&A: Boston Consulting Group CEO Rich Lesser |url=https://poetsandquants.com/2016/09/25/executive-qa-boston-consulting-group-ceo-rich-lesser/ |website=Poets & Quants |access-date=16 October 2020}} a time of economic hardship for the city due to the collapse of the steel industry at the time.
He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, summa cum laude, from the University of Michigan.{{Cite news|url=http://alumni.umich.edu/alumnus/notable-alumni/|title=Notable Alumni|work=Alumni Association of the University of Michigan|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en-US}}
Career
Lesser started his career as a product development engineer and group leader at Procter & Gamble.{{Cite web |title=Rich Lesser - Agenda Contributor |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/rich-lesser/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=World Economic Forum |language=en}} In 1988, Lesser joined BCG as a consultant. He was the head of the New York Metro office system from 2000 to 2009, and as BCG's chairman for North and South America from 2009 to 2012.{{cite web |title=Business Roundtable |url=https://www.businessroundtable.org/about-us/members/rich-lesser-chief-executive-officer-boston-consulting-group |website=Business Roundtable |access-date=16 October 2020}} He was elected to the firm's executive committee in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/09/idUSnMKW72114a+1c0+MKW20130109|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430060613/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/09/idUSnMKW72114a+1c0+MKW20130109|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-04-30|title=BCG Press Release |publisher=Thomson Reuters |date=2013-01-09 |access-date=2013-05-12}} Since joining BCG in 1988, Lesser's client work has focused on strategy, operations, leadership, and large-scale transformation. It is claimed he played a pivotal role in helping BCG become the only global management consulting firm to grow strongly through the 2008 recession.{{cite web|url=http://www.consultingmag.com/article/ART631951|title=Top 25 Consultants, 2009: Rich Lesser |work=Consulting Magazine |date=2009-06-01 |access-date=2013-05-12}}
In May 2012, he was elected the successor of Hans-Paul Bürkner as the Global Chief Executive Officer of Boston Consulting Group.{{Cite web |last=BCG |date=2012-05-19 |title=The Boston Consulting Group Elects Rich Lesser as Its Next CEO |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2012/05/19/924542/0/en/The-Boston-Consulting-Group-Elects-Rich-Lesser-as-Its-Next-CEO.html |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en}} Under his leadership, BCG more than doubled in size to over 22,000 employees and tripled in revenue, fueled by investments in new offices, digital and analytics, and capabilities to drive innovation and transformation.{{Cite news |last=Cutter |first=Chip |date=2021-06-25 |title=Rich Lesser, CEO Whisperer, on His Toughest Moments |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/rich-lesser-ceo-whisperer-on-his-toughest-moments-11624618800 |access-date=2022-06-30 |issn=0099-9660}} Lesser oversaw the launch of BCG Digital Ventures, a builder and accelerator of digital businesses; BCG Gamma, an analytics and machine-learning team; and BCG TURN, a turnaround, restructuring, and transformation unit;{{Cite news|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/boston-consulting-group-launches-bcg-170000414.html|title=The Boston Consulting Group Launches BCG Digital Ventures, a Digital Innovation, Product Development, and Commercialization Firm|access-date=2018-08-17|language=en-US}} and more recently, the Center for Climate & Sustainability.{{cite web |title=Rich Lesser: World Economic Forum |url=https://www.consulting.us/news/5783/bcg-launches-a-global-climate-sustainability-practice |access-date=2 June 2022 |website=Consulting.us}} He oversaw the launch of the Southern Communities Initiative, a partnership between BCG, PayPal, and Vista Equity Partners to help advance racial equity.{{Cite web |title=Opinion: 3 ways companies can help advance racial equity |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/perspectives/racial-equity-paypal-vista-equity-boston-consulting-group/index.html |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=CNN |language=en}}
In 2021, Lesser was named the Top CEO in America by Glassdoor.{{Cite web |title=Glassdoor’s Top CEOs for 2021 Announced; Boston Consulting Group CEO Rich Lesser Earns #1 Spot - Glassdoor Blog |url=https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/top-ceos-2021/ |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=www.glassdoor.com |language=en}}
= Other involvements =
Lesser also is chief advisor to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders. He previously was a member of the WEF’s International Business Council and on the Board of Directors of the Business Roundtable, including chair of the CEO COVID-19 Task Force.{{Cite web |title=Business Roundtable Welcomes Mask Mandate for Federal Employees, on Federal Lands |url=https://www.businessroundtable.org/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=www.businessroundtable.org |language=en}}
He accelerated BCG's strong investments in social impact through its many partnerships, including the World Food Programme, Save the Children, and the World Wildlife Fund.
In December 2016, Lesser joined a business forum assembled by then president-elect Donald Trump to provide strategic and policy advice on economic issues.{{cite news|last1=Bryan|first1=Bob|title=Trump is forming an economic advisory team with the CEOs of Disney, General Motors, JPMorgan, and more|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-strategic-and-policy-forum-includes-dimon-iger-schwarzman-2016-12|access-date=1 June 2017|publisher=Business Insider|date=2 Dec 2016}} In August 2017, Lesser and other CEOs decided to disband the group.{{Cite news |last=Gelles |first=David |last2=Thomas |first2=Landon Jr. |last3=Sorkin |first3=Andrew Ross |last4=Kelly |first4=Kate |date=2017-08-16 |title=Inside the C.E.O. Rebellion Against Trump’s Advisory Councils |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/business/trumps-council-ceos.html |access-date=2022-06-30 |issn=0362-4331}}
He is a member of the President's Export Council."President's Export Council Members". International Trade Administration. 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.bcg.com/about/people-culture/leadership BCG biography]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesser, Rich}}
Category:American management consultants
Category:Boston Consulting Group people
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:University of Michigan alumni