Bain appoints Chistophe De Vusser as next global CEO
Global strategy consultancy Bain & Company has elected Christophe De Vusser to serve as the firm’s new worldwide managing partner from the summer. The role, equivalent to being named the chief executive officer, has never previously been held by a European professional.
Bain & Company’s current worldwide managing partner is Manny Maceda, who is presently nearing the end of his second three-year term in the role. Since taking over in 2018, he has led Bain through a period of accelerated expansion since 2018, with an extended run of double-digit growth and investment.
Under his leadership, Maceda has also overseen efforts to diversify and expand Bain’s capabilities, with new focuses on AI technologies and sustainable development becoming particularly prominent in recent years. For example, in early 2023, the firm announced a landmark partnership with OpenAI, to help clients get the most of generative AI’s potential. Meanwhile, Bain sought to build on a decade as a carbon-neutral firm, by committing to reduce 90% of its Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2040.
At the same time, Bain has sought to supplement this growth with 25 successful acquisitions or minority investments since 2018. Alongside this rapid expansion, Maceda has also sought to reinforce a unique, collaborative culture, helping the firm’s pre-existing wings stay ahead of the curve on the biggest issues of the day, and securing numerous accolades as one of the world’s best places to work in the process.
New era
However, when Christophe De Vusser succeeds Maceda in July 2024, that is not to say that he will not find any challenges in his inbox. The firm’s Chinese operations are currently one of a number of consulting firms to have experienced increasing tensions with local authorities. At the same time, Bain has also been subject to scrutiny in South Africa and the UK for its alleged role in a state capture scandal, which briefly led to its ban from government contracts. As geo-political disruptions continue to rise, the global consulting firm will likely find itself having to navigate more headwinds in the years ahead.
De Vusser will need to draw on all his knowhow from serving the firm in that case. A release from the firm states that he has played “an instrumental role in the firm’s success and development”, though, and is well used to dealing with international affairs, as he currently leads Bain’s work with its private equity and financial investors practice in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Based in Bain’s Brussels office, he also serves on the firm’s board of directors and multiple board committees.
Speaking on his successor, Maceda commented, “Christophe’s service at the firm over more than two decades exemplifies our consistent mission to help clients create such high levels of value that together we set new standards of excellence. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Christophe over many years. As worldwide managing partner, Christophe will maintain our ambition and lead continuing change to further improve our effectiveness, all with a focus on clients and results while further strengthening Bain’s differentiation as one of best places to work– and on leading Bain into the next chapters of its global success story.”
As a Belgian citizen, De Vusser will become the first European to take the role of worldwide managing partner at Bain. He has been with the firm in 2000, and worked with clients across all geographies in that time. From 2012 to 2018, as managing partner of Bain’s Brussels office, he helped to double its business while expanding activities into new areas and developing the local team. Prior to Bain, he worked for Procter & Gamble, with responsibilities for global sourcing for P&G’s fabric and home care business.
Commenting on his election, De Vusser said he was “honoured to be chosen by my peers to lead this world class firm”. He added, “It’s a privilege to succeed Manny as we build on a remarkable period of sustained success under his leadership.”
