AI is already writing code. The question is no longer what it can do, but how organisations use it.​

In this episode of Business & Beyond, Rohin Wood (Managing Director & Partner, BCG X ANZ) shares a practical view on what’s changing, what’s working, and where most organisations are getting stuck.​

As execution becomes easier, the real challenge shifts to framing problems, redesigning workflows, and applying judgement.​

They explore:​

1. Why many AI initiatives stall at the pilot stage​
2. How to move from use cases to transformation​
3. The rise of agentic systems and what they mean for business​
4. Where organisations are already seeing real value​

Links:​

Scheduling the World’s Largest Fully-Owned and Integrated Iron Ore Supply Chain with Rio Tinto:​

https://www.bcg.com/x/mark-your-moment/how-an-iron-ore-producer-modernized-mining-operations-with-ai​

AI Radar Report: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/as-ai-investments-surge-ceos-take-the-lead​

Rohin's PhD Thesis: https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/59390/8/02chapters1-4.pdf

Chapter markers:

0:00 – Abstraction and Leadership in AI

1:18 – From PhD to BCG X

5:32 – Scaling BCG X Globally

7:20 – Algorithms, Neural Networks and GPT Breakthroughs

8:51 – AI Writing Code and Maths

9:15 – The Cost of Work Dropping to Near Zero

10:23 – Agentic Commerce Explained

12:43 – AI as an Operating System

15:25 – From Pilots to Transformation

22:13 – Democratising AI Agents

24:00 – AI Capability Doubling Rapidly

29:08 – Mining, Pharma, Pricing Use Cases

32:31 – Superhuman Engineers Emerging

35:06 – Cyber Risk in AI Era

Richard Lesser reflects on leading BCG through a decade of disruption that saw the firm triple revenues while expanding into digital, advanced analytics and AI.​

He shares why CEOs must balance short-term earnings with long-term vitality, why engagement with governments has shifted from optional to essential, and why complacency is the real threat in an era defined by generative AI, geopolitical tension and declining institutional trust. For Rich, the defining leadership advantage was not prior expertise, but the capacity to learn faster than the world was changing.​

In this episode, Rich also discusses:​

1. How BCG invested early in digital and AI before the generative AI inflection point​
2. The firm’s expansion into climate and sustainability advisory​
3. The rapid scaling of private capital into a multibillion-dollar platform​
4. What the Edelman Trust Barometer signals for CEOs​
5. Whether consulting remains relevant in the age of AI

Chapter Markers:

00:00:00 – The Leadership Lesson He Didn’t See Coming​

00:00:50 – Richard Lesser’s 40-Year BCG Journey​

00:01:57 – Leading in an Age of Disruption: What’s Changed​

00:03:03 – Balancing Short-Term Performance and Long-Term Vitality​

00:04:13 – Why CEOs Must Become Learners, Not Just Experts​

00:05:00 – The CEO as Statesman: Trust, Government and Polarisation​

00:07:26 – Scaling BCG: Digital, AI and Strategic Inflection Points​

00:09:32 – Climate, Sustainability and Private Capital Expansion​

00:11:26 – Stepping Into the CEO Role: Responsibility and TeamBuilding​

00:14:27 – Building Trust Through Authentic Leadership​

00:16:56 – AI, Generative Tools and the Future of Consulting​

00:21:15 – Energy, Sleep and Self-Awareness at the Top​

00:26:21 – Three Career Lessons for the Next Generation

In this episode of Business & Beyond, Sanjay Chari sits down with Rich Lesser, Global Chairman of BCG and former CEO, immediately following a week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.​

Rich reflects on why this year felt fundamentally different, describing it as “a tale of four Davos” - four conversations unfolding at once. Leaders were debating the global economic outlook with cautious optimism, shifting the AI discussion from hype to value at scale, grappling with rising geopolitical tension, and continuing quieter but determined work on climate and sustainability.​

The conversation explores what a difficult decade has taught business leaders about resilience, how AI is moving from experimentation to real-world impact, what growing geopolitical fragmentation means for companies operating globally, and why climate action is increasingly driven by business fundamentals rather than public rhetoric.

Chapter markers

1. 00:00 Welcome & reflections after Davos​
2. 01:18 A tale of four Davos explained​
3. 04:20 Davos on the ground: the economic outlook​
4. 06:42 Global perspectives​
5. 08:48 How institutions and businesses build resilience​
6. 14:44 Davos in the cloud: AI moves from hype to value​
7. 19:43 Why CEOs are taking ownership of AI​
8. 22:44 Managing risks as the AI agenda scales
9. 25:21 Davos to the north: geopolitics & trade tensions​
10. 30:59 Navigating uncertainty in a fragmented world​
11. 34:32 Davos underground: climate beyond the headlines​
12. 36:57 The green economy as a growth opportunity​
13. 44:02 Final reflections: optimism in a decade of change

Resources:

1. Read Rich's article on A Tale of Four Davos here: https://on.bcg.com/4ryqZD8
2. The Widening AI Value Gap: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/are-you-generating-value-from-ai-the-widening-gap
3. AI Radar: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/as-ai-investments-surge-ceos-take-the-lead