BCG Henderson Institute

Nikolaus Lang

Global Leader, BCG Henderson Institute

Expertise

Education

  • Dr. oec., Lic.oec., Organizational Leadership, University of St.Gallen
  • Baccalaureat, Economics. Lycee francais de Vienne, Vienna, Austria

Location
Munich
Contact

Nikolaus Lang

Global Leader, BCG Henderson Institute

Nikolaus Lang is the Global Leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Boston Consulting Group’s think tank dedicated to exploring and developing new ideas and insights for business strategy, technology, geopolitics, macroeconomics, society and talent, and climate and sustainability, among other key topics.

At the BCG Henderson Institute, Nikolaus leads a global network of researchers and experts who are driving thought leadership for BCG and are shaping the future of business. He oversees the Institute’s research agenda and overall management, while also heading the Geopolitics research team and the Institute’s global leadership team, consisting of senior stakeholders across BCG. His work helps businesses and policymakers navigate complex global challenges and seize emerging opportunities.

Previously, as an Alum Fellow (2016-2019), he focused on researching collaboration in the digital age and the crucial role that cross-border joint ventures, alliances, and business ecosystems play.

Nikolaus’s career spans over 25 years in management consulting and global strategy. He joined BCG in 1998 and has advised clients in more than 50 countries on topics such as mobility, geopolitics, trade, and international collaboration strategies. He is also currently serving as the Global Vice Chair of BCG’s Global Advantage practice, focusing on competitive dynamics in an increasingly interconnected world.

Nikolaus holds an honorary professorship at the University of St. Gallen, where he bridges academic research with real-world strategy. He is also the coauthor of Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution (PublicAffairs, 2020), a book that provides strategic insights for businesses facing geopolitical and technological disruption.

He is a frequent speaker on these topics speaking at events such as The Economist in addition to C-suite events of Fortune 500 clients. His work has been published in leading publications including The World Economic Forum and Harvard Business Review, among others.

Book(s) co-authored by Nikolaus Lang

2021
Beyond Great

Great is no longer good enough. Beyond Great delivers a powerful new playbook of 9 core strategies to thrive in a post-COVID world where all the rules of the game are being re-written.

Recent Work

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BCG.com | July 21, 2025

Where Will Tomorrow’s AI Geniuses Go?

Policy shifts could reshape the AI map—but talent, not tariffs, will have the greatest long-term impact.

BCG Henderson Institute | June 27, 2025

BHI’s Summer Reading List — 2025

In keeping with our annual tradition at the BCG Henderson Institute, we are excited to kick off the vacation season by unveiling our 2025 Summer Reading List.

MIT Sloan Management Review | June 23, 2025

When Wait and See Is Smart Strategy

Waiting can be a dysfunctional choice — or a wise approach to navigating complexity. Leaders facing today’s uncertainty must know when and how to wait.

Harvard Business Review | June 2, 2025

Tarrifs, Technology, and the New Geography of Manufacturing

Geopolitical disruptions and tech advances are shaking up manufacturing strategies, pushing leaders to rethink their approaches. Companies need to rethink the way they traditionally decide where to locate plants, and instead utilize scenario planning and the possibility of automation to create a manufacturing footprint that makes sense as tariffs rise.

BCG.com | May 28, 2025

Ten Forces Reshaping Global Business

From trade wars and geopolitical shifts to regional wars and climate change, business leaders must manage through unprecedented complexity in the global landscape.

23 Minutes | May 6, 2025

The Measure of Progress with Diane Coyle

"We need to think more in terms of understanding time. On the firm side, productivity improvements [usually mean] speeding up processes. […] For consumers, […] our budget is 24 hours, which we use on leisure, paid and unpaid work, consumption, services. Time could [be] the basis of a new accounting framework for economic value."