Amit Rai named London Centre Lead at BCG Digital Ventures
Amit Rai has been appointed London Centre lead at BCG Digital Ventures. Rai re-joined the firm in 2021, initially arriving as a Managing Director.
Launched in 2014, BCG Digital Ventures (BCGDV) is the distinct digital label of strategy advisory giant Boston Consulting Group. BCGDV is a separate practice to combine the firm’s consulting, design, and technology services, aimed at digital transformations. In the wake of the pandemic, with digitalisation becoming more rapid by the day, this has positioned the firm well to tap into growing demand for digital consulting services across Europe.
Following what was BCGDV’s “most successful [12 months] to date”, late 2021 saw the company look to expand its offering across Europe – and to help build for this, it welcomed back Amit Rai joins as Managing Director and Partner. Rai previously spent one year with the firm as Venture Architect Director, before leaving in 2018 to become CEO of London based MachineMax, an analytics service assisting construction and mining companies with machine productivity and profitability.
Eight months later, Rai has been rewarded for his return by having won a promotion. He will now leverage his two decades of professional services experience as BCGDV’s London Centre Lead – a role which will see him lead the firm’s 120-strong team in the UK capital. He will fulfil the role alongside his remit as IG PA Lead for DV in its regional London, Amsterdam, Brussels (L-A-B) network.
Speaking on the news, Rai commented, “I’m a business builder at heart and I’m very excited to take on this new challenge. London remains Europe’s top tech hub, and corporate venture building continues to be a strategic priority for business leaders around the UK. From AI to sustainability to the Metaverse, the world’s leading companies are turning to us to solve their most complex digital challenges.”
Rai takes on the role from Mark Zaleski. The outgoing London Centre Lead joined BCGDV in 2016, and was recently named Middle East Lead for the company when it opened a new hub in the region.
Juergen Eckel, Managing Director and Partner and Head of Europe, Middle East, South America and Africa, said of the two professionals, “We want to thank Mark for all he has done over the past four years. Despite the disruption and challenges caused by the lingering pandemic, we’ve continued to build impactful businesses with our corporate partners… Amit is a true digital entrepreneur with an impressive track record. Many of our blue chip clients are based out of London, and Amit will be instrumental in accelerating our mission in such an important Centre for DV.”
Among the London ventures BCCGDV has headed up are FYLD, MachineMax, Pebble, and Digital Boost. This last venture saw the company partner with Founders4Schools to launch a new volunteering platform linking UK organisations with digital experts – supporting the digital transformations of six million British small businesses and charities impacted by Covid-19.
