Looking Back at 10 Years of BRG—and Forward to the Next 10
Phil Rowley
Amid a transitioning global economy, BRG (and ThinkSet) prepare for more change
A little more than a decade ago, a group of academics, business leaders and professionals agreed to form a new kind of professional services firm: one created for experts by experts.
Not long after, that organization—BRG—opened its doors. Next month, it turns 10.
BRG’s tenth anniversary is a big moment, and it has me thinking a lot about what’s ahead for our organization. But just as important is looking back at how far we’ve come. BRG now comprises more than 1,200 colleagues in 45 offices across six continents. We’ve been honored as one of America’s best consulting firms—and our revenues have grown 17-fold since our first year, to half-a-billion dollars annually.
It’s not an exaggeration to say we’re one of the most successful professional-services startups in history, and that wouldn’t have happened without a clear purpose. David Teece, BRG’s chairman and principal executive officer, recently articulated that purpose: “Support human and artificial talent using evidence-based, theory-informed and insight-driven approaches to help resolve disputes and shape strategies that enhance the performance of those individuals, organizations and markets that are essential to the health and well-being of just societies.”
That purpose holds true today as much as at any time throughout the past 10 years. But it takes on new meaning given the transition underway in the global economy.
A Transitioning Global Economy and a Transitioning BRG
As a new decade dawns, mercantilist, authoritarian regimes around the world are gaining ground against Western-style free-market democracies. It’s imperative for business leaders around the world, and those who provide them counsel, to recognize this shift as a threat to our societies’ long-term prospects for growth and prosperity. We must find ways to restore the promise of a free-market system.
This is on our minds a lot these days at BRG, and we’re clearly not alone. The Business Roundtable’s statement last summer that it was moving past “shareholder primacy” marked a flash point in this transition. Alex Gorsky, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson and chair of the Business Roundtable Corporate Governance Committee, said the statement “affirms the essential role corporations can play in improving our society when CEOs are truly committed to meeting the needs of all stakeholders.”
Those last two words—all stakeholders—align closely with what we at BRG will focus on going forward. In addition to pursuing growth, we want to ensure we’re focused on not only our clients, but also our practitioners, staff, new recruits and communities. We continue to refine our approach, but remain true to our original principles, as captured in our motto: Intelligence That Works.
The Future for ThinkSet
Intelligence That Works is also the name of the ThinkSet podcast I launched last year. We first began publishing ThinkSet in 2017 and pivoted to a digital-only approach in 2019. The publication’s pages are filled with the expertise of our team, buttressed by editorial discipline, journalistic standards and premium design—and resulting in some gratifying accolades.
“We’re encouraged by both nominations, but we see them as a beginning. We have big plans for ThinkSet in 2020 and beyond.”
Late last year, the Content Marketing Institute named ThinkSet a finalist for “Best Digital Publication.” We ultimately received an honorable mention, just as we did from the PR Daily’s Content Marketing Awards in the “Electronic Publications or E-Newsletter” category. We’re encouraged by both nominations, but we see them as a beginning. We have big plans for ThinkSet in 2020 and beyond.
You’ll see those plans come to life in these pages over the coming months. But our efforts will only be successful if they’re backed by true thought leadership, supported by a key element of what BRG was to be:
An expert services firm, created for experts by experts.