Bain & Company
Dave Johnson
Partner, Regional Managing Director, Americas
Consulting: As we close out 2015, where is your firm today?
Johnson: Bain & Company is in a very strong position globally, and we are pleased with our growth to date. In the last three out of four years, we have experienced double-digit growth—a trend that continued in 2015. As a result, we continue to hire at a record pace.
Consulting: How would you describe your firm's outlook for 2016?
Johnson: Bain's business is robust, and we expect 2016 to be another strong year. Looking ahead, the firm will continue to help our clients with the most critical strategic decisions that make the difference in their success. Two key areas of focus include: digital transformation and the use of Advanced Analytics across various industries—from the obvious, such as media and banking—to the less apparent, including oil & gas and healthcare. Our continued emphasis on these areas is in response to the anxiety and confusion among executive leadership teams about where to place their bets on the digital business model. Bain's position is "Digical"—both the digital world and physical one are indispensable parts of business. Our other priority practice and capability areas next year will include Private Equity, Oil & Gas, Financial Services, Healthcare, emerging customer spending power in China, India and Africa, and our continued work on customer loyalty and the Net Promoter System.
Consulting: How do you see the profession evolving in 2016?
Johnson: We anticipate that client expectations will further evolve next year. Economic challenges have put even more pressure on companies to deliver results; this is Bain's core and one of the key reasons CEOs and senior executives call on us. We are also seeing increased demand among our clients for more than just the output of information, data and theory.
Consulting: What do you see as the biggest opportunities in 2016?
Johnson: We see several opportunities for growth in 2016. First and foremost is the increasing demand from clients to deliver real, sustainable outcomes from our work. Next is responding to the impact of technology, which affects nearly all aspects of business. As in years past, helping companies deliver an end-to-end customer experience will continue to be a priority, and we also anticipate an uptick in M&A activity, driven by excess cash on companies' balance sheets. Next year will not be without its challenges—namely the need for our clients to demonstrate a high return on their investment in us.
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