
North America Chair BCG: Why Getting the Right Answer Is Where the Hard Work Starts | Sharon Marcil
Sharon Marcil, Managing Director, Senior Partner and North America Chair of Boston Consulting Group, formerly BCG's Chief Marketing Officer, Board Member of Duke University, named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Consultants by Consulting Magazine, former Goldman Sachs mergers and acquisitions professional, Harvard MBA and Duke economics graduate, joins Personable to reveal why getting the right answer is only where the hard work starts, what the world's biggest CEOs are actually doing with AI right now, and why culture will always eat strategy for lunch.In this episode, Sharon opens up about why 70 percent of CEOs globally are now personally driving the AI agenda, how BCG went from 12 week diagnostic phases to days, and why the companies winning at AI are starting entirely from scratch rather than adding tools to old processes. This is an essential listen for anyone interested in consulting, leadership, AI strategy, building great culture, navigating organisations at scale, and what it really takes to drive change when the hardest part is never the answer itself.She discusses:◽️ Why 70 percent of CEOs are now personally driving the AI agenda and what that number actually means for every organisation◽️ Why the companies winning at AI are rebuilding processes from scratch rather than layering tools onto what already exists◽️ Why engaging the skeptics is the only way to know if change is actually happening and how to do it without losing the room◽️ How to give honest feedback to the most powerful leaders in the world without damaging the relationship you spent years building◽️ Why do something you love is the only career advice that has ever really mattered and what it looks like in practice00:00 Introduction and Sharon Marcil background02:30 Would she do it all again and what success looked like at 20 versus what it looks like now07:45 Why consulting is still the right move for ambitious young people in 2026 and what AI is changing about the job14:20 How BCG stays at the forefront of AI and what the best CEOs are doing differently right now20:45 How the US competes with China on AI energy data centers and adoption while staying safe27:10 What a great culture actually looks like and why grow by growing others is the principle that scales34:50 How to advocate for yourself in high performing teams without undermining the people around you41:30 Why getting the right answer is only where the hard work starts and what comes after47:55 How to give honest feedback to powerful leaders and what she learned from the best mentors she ever had54:10 Legacy what is next and one thing every listener should take awaySharon Marcil:◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmarcil/Harvey Bracken-Smith:◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/Personable Podcast:◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111Additional:◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donatePersonable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world's best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.



