BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/31/13 -- The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world's leading management consulting firms, announced today that it will launch a year-long program focused on the theme of "Game Changing" to help mark the company's fiftieth anniversary in 2013.

The Game Changing program will tackle the most fundamental dynamics facing leaders in an age of unprecedented turbulence, and it will develop and promote action-oriented breakthrough ideas for transforming the fortunes of business and society. The program will explore paths to success through content partnerships with other top-tier organizations, BCG publications, and an online and offline forum series that will foster debate between business leaders, policymakers, the media, and the public.

"The global economy is undergoing the most radical transformation since the Industrial Revolution," said Rich Lesser, who became BCG's president and chief executive officer on January 1. "The rapid rise of the emerging markets, extraordinary technological advances, hyperconnectivity, dramatic demographic change, fiscally constrained public sectors -- all of these are forcing companies to rethink and revamp the way they do business. To capitalize on the opportunities created by accelerating change, leaders need to be proactive and challenge the status quo. In short, they need to change the game." (For more on Lesser's appointment, click here.)

As part of the Game Changing program, BCG has identified five key issues or "dimensions" for successfully managing in an age of accelerating change:

• The New Growth-Value Equation. Growth wasn't effortless before the financial crisis, but few executives would disagree that it's become much more difficult since then, particularly in developed markets. Now leaders need to refocus on the core strategies for creating profitable growth in order to create long-term value: entering new markets or expanding into existing ones and investing in innovative products and services, processes, and business models.

• The Fit-to-Compete Factor. In an increasingly complex and competitive world, companies and countries need to be not just fit for purpose but fit to compete. They must develop "smart rules" for managing complexity and gaining competitive advantage -- becoming leaner and more operationally efficient, simpler and more organizationally effective, and better able to attract the best talent.

• The Adaptive Mindset. Companies must continuously reshape their organizations in order to not only respond to rapid change but also leap ahead of competitors. Likewise, public sectors have to develop agile ways of reforming their institutions in order to enhance essential services, such as health and education, and meet the changing needs of their people.

• The Two Halves of Connectivity. To succeed, companies and countries need to harness the tools of hyperconnectivity: not just digital technology but also bridges, roads, railroads, and airports -- particularly in the fast-developing economies ("the forgotten half of connectivity"). By doing so, they can realize the true potential of ever more connected consumers, markets, and society.

• The Perpetuity Principle. Leaders must display the skills of stewardship, developing sustainable and trusted businesses with a vision of their companies' long-term legacy -- to meet the growing expectations of society, ensure value creation, and improve well-being for the future.

Publications, Partnerships, and Special Events

To explore the Game Changing theme and each of the five dimensions, BCG will release a steady stream of new research and commentary throughout 2013. The first publications of the series -- The Most Innovative Companies 2012, Ending the Era of Ponzi Finance, and Allies and Adversaries: 2013 BCG Global Challengers -- have just been released. So, too, has a new eBook, Shaping the Future in a Time of Accelerating Change, which highlights some of the key issues facing business and society today.

BCG is also partnering with a number of highly influential organizations. Last week, BCG's latest work with the World Economic Forum was presented at the WEF's annual summit in Davos, Switzerland. In addition, BCG is establishing partnerships to cohost events that will bring together top business leaders and thinkers, to create exclusive reports and forums, and to curate a traveling photography exhibition with a world-renowned photo agency.

For information on the Game Changing program, please go to bcgperspectives.com, follow @BCGPerspectives on Twitter, or like BCG Perspectives on Facebook.

To speak with a BCG expert, or for more information, please contact Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or gregoire.eric@bcg.com.

About The Boston Consulting Group
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 78 offices in 43 countries.

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