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
- 00:00 Welcome & reflections after Davos
- 01:18 A tale of four Davos explained
- 04:20 Davos on the ground: the economic outlook
- 06:42 Global perspectives
- 08:48 How institutions and businesses build resilience
- 14:44 Davos in the cloud: AI moves from hype to value
- 19:43 Why CEOs are taking ownership of AI
- 22:44 Managing risks as the AI agenda scales
- 25:21 Davos to the north: geopolitics & trade tensions
- 30:59 Navigating uncertainty in a fragmented world
- 34:32 Davos underground: climate beyond the headlines
- 36:57 The green economy as a growth opportunity
- 44:02 Final reflections: optimism in a decade of change
Resources:
- Read Rich's article on A Tale of Four Davos here: https://on.bcg.com/4ryqZD8
- The Widening AI Value Gap: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2025/are-you-generating-value-from-ai-the-widening-gap
- AI Radar: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/as-ai-investments-surge-ceos-take-the-lead
