Latest news with #MBB
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet the leaders of MBB, the consulting giants advising the world's most powerful CEOs
Meet the leaders of McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting Group. MBB firms advise companies and governments in areas like strategy, mergers, and AI adoption. The firms' leaders focus on a global roster of clients and oversee tens of thousands of employees. You might not know their names, but they likely have the ear of many powerful CEOs. They're the leaders of what are widely considered the most prestigious strategy consulting firms: McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group, which are collectively referred to as the Big 3, or MBB. MBB firms are often tough places to land a job, and their consultants are some of the most sought-after in the industry. They're the people tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple — as well as government agencies — turn to for advice on things like mergers and acquisitions, business strategy, and AI adoption. MBB consultants have also gone on to lead some of the world's biggest companies. So, who's leading the nearly hundred thousand employees across these influential firms? Here's a look at the leaders at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. Bob Sternfels is the global managing partner and chair of the board of directors at McKinsey, which is headquartered in New York City and has offices around the world. The firm employs about 40,000 people. Senior partners first elected Sternfels in 2021 and re-elected him to a second three-year term in 2024. Sternfels grew up in California's Central Valley and has worked at McKinsey since 1994, when he joined the San Francisco office. Prior to becoming global managing partner, he led McKinsey's client capabilities around the world. Before that, he ran the operations practice for the Americas and the private equity and principal investors practice globally. He studied economics and history at Stanford University, where he also played Division I varsity water polo. Sternfels has said on several occasions that his sports background has influenced his leadership style. He got his master's in politics, philosophy, and economics at the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Sternfels recently told Business Insider that humor and vulnerability are some of his key leadership tools. He also said he likes to take small groups on walks when visiting McKinsey offices because it can help folks open up. "A little levity — a joke at your own expense, a lighthearted moment — can go a long way toward building trust, breaking down barriers, and democratizing the team room," he said. When he was elected global managing partner, the firm said Sternfels was often described as organized, proactive, and a systems thinker. Under his leadership, McKinsey has navigated the AI revolution, launching QuantumBlack, the firm's AI consulting arm. During his tenure, McKinsey has also faced scrutiny for earlier advising Purdue Pharma on how to boost sales of OxyContin. Sternfels testified before Congress in 2022, and the firm has paid about $1.6 billion in recent years to settle legal claims. McKinsey has also recently reduced its staff by 10%, BI reported in May. The firm said at the time that the reorganization was in part due to AI driving new levels of efficiency and that it planned to hire thousands of new consultants in 2025. Christophe De Vusser is the worldwide managing partner, CEO, and chairman of Bain & Company, which is based in Boston and has about 19,000 employees globally. The company was founded in 1973. Before taking on the role in July 2024 and moving to New York, De Vusser was a partner based in Brussels, where he led Bain's private equity practice for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. De Vusser is the first European to hold the role of worldwide managing partner and CEO, the company said in a 2024 press release. De Vusser, who first joined Bain in 2000, began his career at the consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, maker of Tide detergent and Crest toothpaste. De Vusser has master's degrees in civil engineering and multilingual business communication from the University of Ghent, according to Bain. De Vusser's rise to the top role comes as the firm's business is evolving because of tech advances. In December, Bain said tech and "AI-enabled revenue" accounted for 30% of the company's business in 2024. Bain expects that revenue to climb to 50% in the coming years. In a Bain podcast, De Vusser said the firm's clients are grappling with massive amounts of change, including around artificial intelligence. It's a technology, he said, that's still in its early days. "It will continue to mature at immense speeds, we believe, in the coming decades," he said on the podcast. De Vusser has also written about AI. In a recent LinkedIn post, he pointed to Bain research that found fewer than 20% of companies had "meaningfully scaled" generative AI. The reason, he said, is that many organizations tend to view AI "primarily as a technology initiative rather than using it as a catalyst to fundamentally reimagine their business." For organizations to get it right, De Vusser wrote, they need to simplify key processes, use technology so that it fits with strategic goals, and enable workers to use AI. BCG CEO Christoph Schweizer described his leadership style in a video produced by the company: "Values-led, empathetic, transparent, curious," he says. The firm elected Schweizer for a second term this year. BCG says its reelection process is "unique." All 1,500 managing directors and partners have an equal vote when choosing a CEO. Schweizer, who first became CEO in 2021, joined BCG in 1997, according to his biography on the firm's website. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business and a Bachelor's degree from the WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. During his tenure, BCG has grown in several areas, including the firm's investments in AI — which accounted for bout 20% of the firm's total revenue in 2024 and are expected to grow this year, according to a press release from BCG. Schweizer has also navigated some controversies during his tenure, including two recent projects related to the Gaza conflict. BCG backed out of a multimillion-dollar American-Israeli project to deliver aid in Gaza that was marked by violence. And two senior BCG leaders were demoted for their role in another project that modeled the potential cost of relocating Palestinians from the territory. One of the firm's biggest challenges moving forward, Schweizer says in the company interview, will be helping clients embed AI. "To seize the opportunity, our clients need to fundamentally redefine operating models, value chains, decision-making, and end-to-end processes, while protecting themselves from associated risks, such as info security," he said. Another major focus for BCG is sustainability, he said. "Companies and governments will have to get serious about decarbonization extremely fast: setting the right targets, reduction mechanisms, metrics, and enforcement," Schweizer said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Meet the leaders of MBB, the consulting giants advising the world's most powerful CEOs
You might not know their names, but they likely have the ear of many powerful CEOs. They're the leaders of what are widely considered the most prestigious strategy consulting firms: McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group, which are collectively referred to as the Big 3, or MBB. MBB firms are often tough places to land a job, and their consultants are some of the most sought-after in the industry. They're the people tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple — as well as government agencies — turn to for advice on things like mergers and acquisitions, business strategy, and AI adoption. MBB consultants have also gone on to lead some of the world's biggest companies. So, who's leading the nearly hundred thousand employees across these influential firms? Here's a look at the leaders at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. McKinsey — Bob Sternfels Bob Sternfels is the global managing partner and chair of the board of directors at McKinsey, which is headquartered in New York City and has offices around the world. The firm employs about 40,000 people. Senior partners first elected Sternfels in 2021 and re-elected him to a second three-year term in 2024. Sternfels grew up in California's Central Valley and has worked at McKinsey since 1994, when he joined the San Francisco office. Prior to becoming global managing partner, he led McKinsey's client capabilities around the world. Before that, he ran the operations practice for the Americas and the private equity and principal investors practice globally. He studied economics and history at Stanford University, where he also played Division I varsity water polo. Sternfels has said on several occasions that his sports background has influenced his leadership style. He got his master's in politics, philosophy, and economics at the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Sternfels recently told Business Insider that humor and vulnerability are some of his key leadership tools. He also said he likes to take small groups on walks when visiting McKinsey offices because it can help folks open up. "A little levity — a joke at your own expense, a lighthearted moment — can go a long way toward building trust, breaking down barriers, and democratizing the team room," he said. When he was elected global managing partner, the firm said Sternfels was often described as organized, proactive, and a systems thinker. Under his leadership, McKinsey has navigated the AI revolution, launching QuantumBlack, the firm's AI consulting arm. During his tenure, McKinsey has also faced scrutiny for earlier advising Purdue Pharma on how to boost sales of OxyContin. Sternfels testified before Congress in 2022, and the firm has paid about $1.6 billion in recent years to settle legal claims. McKinsey has also recently reduced its staff by 10%, BI reported in May. The firm said at the time that the reorganization was in part due to AI driving new levels of efficiency and that it planned to hire thousands of new consultants in 2025. Bain & Company — Christophe De Vusser Christophe De Vusser is the worldwide managing partner, CEO, and chairman of Bain & Company, which is based in Boston and has about 19,000 employees globally. The company was founded in 1973. Before taking on the role in July 2024 and moving to New York, De Vusser was a partner based in Brussels, where he led Bain's private equity practice for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. De Vusser is the first European to hold the role of worldwide managing partner and CEO, the company said in a 2024 press release. De Vusser, who first joined Bain in 2000, began his career at the consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, maker of Tide detergent and Crest toothpaste. De Vusser has master's degrees in civil engineering and multilingual business communication from the University of Ghent, according to Bain. De Vusser's rise to the top role comes as the firm's business is evolving because of tech advances. In December, Bain said tech and "AI-enabled revenue" accounted for 30% of the company's business in 2024. Bain expects that revenue to climb to 50% in the coming years. In a Bain podcast, De Vusser said the firm's clients are grappling with massive amounts of change, including around artificial intelligence. It's a technology, he said, that's still in its early days. "It will continue to mature at immense speeds, we believe, in the coming decades," he said on the podcast. De Vusser has also written about AI. In a recent LinkedIn post, he pointed to Bain research that found fewer than 20% of companies had "meaningfully scaled" generative AI. The reason, he said, is that many organizations tend to view AI "primarily as a technology initiative rather than using it as a catalyst to fundamentally reimagine their business." For organizations to get it right, De Vusser wrote, they need to simplify key processes, use technology so that it fits with strategic goals, and enable workers to use AI. Boston Consulting Group — Christoph Schweizer BCG CEO Christoph Schweizer described his leadership style in a video produced by the company: "Values-led, empathetic, transparent, curious," he says. The firm elected Schweizer for a second term this year. BCG says its reelection process is "unique." All 1,500 managing directors and partners have an equal vote when choosing a CEO. Schweizer, who first became CEO in 2021, joined BCG in 1997, according to his biography on the firm's website. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business and a Bachelor's degree from the WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. During his tenure, BCG has grown in several areas, including the firm's investments in AI — which accounted for bout 20% of the firm's total revenue in 2024 and are expected to grow this year, according to a press release from BCG. Schweizer has also navigated some controversies during his tenure, including two recent projects related to the Gaza conflict. BCG backed out of a multimillion-dollar American-Israeli project to deliver aid in Gaza that was marked by violence. And two senior BCG leaders were demoted for their role in another project that modeled the potential cost of relocating Palestinians from the territory. One of the firm's biggest challenges moving forward, Schweizer says in the company interview, will be helping clients embed AI. "To seize the opportunity, our clients need to fundamentally redefine operating models, value chains, decision-making, and end-to-end processes, while protecting themselves from associated risks, such as info security," he said. Another major focus for BCG is sustainability, he said. "Companies and governments will have to get serious about decarbonization extremely fast: setting the right targets, reduction mechanisms, metrics, and enforcement," Schweizer said.
Finextra
24-06-2025
- Business
- Finextra
MuchBetter secures Mastercard Principal Licence for expansion into UK and Israel
MuchBetter, the award-winning payments innovator, has been granted a Principal Licence by Mastercard for card issuing activities in the UK, with regulatory approval secured to extend the licence to Israel. 0 This strategic milestone empowers MuchBetter to accelerate its growth across both markets, broaden its Cards-as-a-Service (CaaS) proposition, and onboard new partners with greater autonomy, speed, and regulatory efficiency. As a Principal Customer of Mastercard, MuchBetter now has direct access to the Mastercard network, enabling it to issue cards without relying on intermediary sponsors. This unlocks faster go-to-market timelines for its clients, reduces operational overheads, and enables the company to apply with Mastercard to sponsor third-party programmes - significantly increasing its strategic flexibility and competitive edge. The licence, granted to MIR Limited UK Ltd (part of the MuchBetter group), also extends to cover operations in Israel, where the company is actively exploring new programme partnerships and product deployments. This marks a key development in MuchBetter's international expansion plans, particularly as it deepens its footprint in high-growth, innovation-led markets. This announcement comes on the heels of several major milestones for MuchBetter, as the company continues to evolve into a full-service fintech ecosystem serving both consumers and businesses. In May 2025, MuchBetter unveiled MuchBetter Business (MBB) - a next-generation business account offering powered by Temenos' cloud-native core banking platform. Backed by tier-one safeguarding with NatWest and direct SWIFT membership, the MBB platform delivers operational and safeguarding accounts in 35 currencies, supporting UK, EU, and international payment rails, real-time FX execution, and biometric digital onboarding. The new Mastercard licence complements these capabilities by adding a core issuing function to MuchBetter's growing B2B suite. It also strengthens its broader product ecosystem, which includes: • MuchBetter Wallet, enabling consumers to store, spend, and send funds securely across multiple currencies and devices. • Wearable payments, allowing users to make contactless transactions via branded devices such as key fobs, watches, and wristbands. • Corporate cards, providing businesses with seamless expense management tools and secure card-based payment options. • MB Gateway, a high-performance payments infrastructure layer for B2B and white-label payment processing. • Cards-as-a-Service (CaaS), which now benefits from direct issuing capability across the UK and Israel. Gary Hill, Chief Information Officer at MuchBetter, commented: 'Becoming a Principal Customer of Mastercard is a key milestone for MuchBetter. It gives us the autonomy and flexibility to accelerate our card strategy in the UK and Israel - two important markets for our business. This licence unlocks new commercial opportunities and enhances our ability to deliver fast, secure, and cost-effective payment solutions for our partners and their end users.' This new capability also aligns with MuchBetter's mission to support underserved sectors and geographies that are often excluded by traditional banking infrastructure. Whether through its MBB platform for high-risk business verticals or wearable solutions for emerging markets, MuchBetter continues to build inclusive, secure, and agile financial products that challenge legacy norms and unlock new user experiences. With its Principal Mastercard licence in place, MuchBetter is poised to launch new CaaS programmes and issuing partnerships in the months ahead - helping fintechs, platforms, and enterprises go live with branded card products faster, with full regulatory coverage and a customisable infrastructure behind the scenes. MuchBetter's broader strategy focuses on modular innovation and interoperability across its B2B and B2C offerings, ensuring clients can access best-in-class solutions tailored to their needs, all under one roof.
Cosmopolitan
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Millie Bobby Brown's new textured short bob cut is the perfect style for fine hair
Millie Bobby Brown has officially re-entered the bob chat, and we're more than here for it. In a recent Instagram Reel debut, MBB flaunted a fresh, blunt, textured bob haircut that sits just above her shoulders – and it's a style that all the celebrities (including Victoria Beckham and Pamela Anderson, no less) have been rocking as of late. More importantly, this style is fine‑hair goals: it adds volume, movement, and that coveted lived‑in beachy vibe without any extra bulk. Tick, tick, tick! But what really sealed the vibe? She paired the look with an abundance of spritzes of her very own Soft Girl Sheer Vanilla Hair & Body Mist from Florence by Mills. Not only does it bring that milky-vanilla, raspberry‑nectar scent (yum), but it leaves a soft, long‑lasting fragrance without any heavy silicones or damage. *Adds 12 to basket* So, if, like me, you struggle with limp, lifeless, fine strands, why not try out this very cut and style? The blunt ends give a sharper silhouette, while the texture and soft waves create density and natural lift. That all said, to be totally real with you, even though this bold chop just 'dropped' on Millie's IG, we suspect that the clip might be an old video (aka, it's an archived moment). I mean, she has recently been spotted with longer brown hair in Dubai holiday snaps! Still, whether it's fresh or a flashback, this blonde bob is one to note. Bob club, assemble! Follow Lia on Instagram. Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from viral celebrity hair and makeup news to the latest trend predictions, she's an expert in recognising the season's next big beauty look (before it ends up all over your social media feeds). You'll usually find her putting TikTok's recent beauty hacks to the Hype Test, challenging the gender-makeup binary and social stereotypes, or fangirling over the time Kourtney Kardashian viewed her Instagram Story (yes, it's true). Find her also on LinkedIn.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why You Might Be Interested In MBB SE (ETR:MBB) For Its Upcoming Dividend
It looks like MBB SE (ETR:MBB) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 3 days. The ex-dividend date is two business days before a company's record date in most cases, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. It is important to be aware of the ex-dividend date because any trade on the stock needs to have been settled on or before the record date. Accordingly, MBB investors that purchase the stock on or after the 18th of June will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 20th of June. The company's next dividend payment will be €3.33 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of €1.11 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that MBB has a trailing yield of 0.8% on the current share price of €143.20. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early. Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. MBB paid out just 16% of its profit last year, which we think is conservatively low and leaves plenty of margin for unexpected circumstances. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether MBB generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Luckily it paid out just 5.2% of its free cash flow last year. It's positive to see that MBB's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Check out our latest analysis for MBB Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. With that in mind, we're encouraged by the steady growth at MBB, with earnings per share up 9.2% on average over the last five years. Earnings per share have been growing at a decent rate, and the company is retaining more than three-quarters of its earnings in the business. This is an attractive combination, because when profits are reinvested effectively, growth can compound, with corresponding benefits for earnings and dividends in the future. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past 10 years, MBB has increased its dividend at approximately 6.9% a year on average. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders. Is MBB worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share growth has been growing somewhat, and MBB is paying out less than half its earnings and cash flow as dividends. This is interesting for a few reasons, as it suggests management may be reinvesting heavily in the business, but it also provides room to increase the dividend in time. It might be nice to see earnings growing faster, but MBB is being conservative with its dividend payouts and could still perform reasonably over the long run. MBB looks solid on this analysis overall, and we'd definitely consider investigating it more closely. On that note, you'll want to research what risks MBB is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for MBB you should know about. A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
