One on One with BCG Digital Ventures' Jeff Schumacher

Today, digital expertise is not something that's nice to have. It's mandatory to stay competitive. Companies looking for an advantage are seeking experts to bring their operations into the digital age. To that end, The Boston Consulting Group has launched BCG Digital Ventures, with the sole purpose to partner with clients to help develop, launch, and transform their digital initiatives. The new firm will leverage BCG's digital assets and resources, and has been staffed with a team of seasoned operators, entrepreneurs and advisors, helmed by Jeff Schumacher, former Managing Director and Cofounder of Booz Digital. Schumacher sat down with Consulting magazine to talk about the launch, the firm's goals, and the next digital frontiers.

Consulting: What led to the launch of BCG Digital Ventures?

Schumacher: When the opportunity arose to create a new digital business within BCG, we all immediately saw the potential to extend BCG's capabilities to the full digital value chain. BCG Digital Ventures is a first-of-its-kind business, bringing unique capabilities to create and grow disruptive digital products and platforms. Our areas of expertise are innovation, product development and commercialization. Building on BCG's substantial experience and capabilities, we go beyond providing consulting, design, and technology services to form strategic venture teams with clients. We are not here to do cute design work, develop an iPhone app, or make a strategy look better. We're looking to rapidly develop, launch, and grow transformational digital products, platforms, and businesses. We are a combination of what venture capital, design, and management consulting firms do.