David Cho joined Bain straight out of undergrad in 2000, left to try his hand at a startup, and came back. Today he leads Bain’s AI transformation solutions, pulling together what the firm has learned across more than 50 AI transformations so every new team can put it to work for its client. In this episode, he joins Keith Bevans to talk about what that work actually involves.
The most common frustration David hears from clients is that they’ve invested in AI without seeing the returns. He points to three things the winners do differently: they set a bold ambition from the top and invest leadership time, not just money; they change workflow, tech, data, and workforce together; and they turn productivity gains into real economic value for the company.
David also walks through a case where a software company faced a fast-growing AI-native competitor, and engineering productivity rose by 40% once the team changed how the work got done. He explains why integrated teams of consultants and engineers deliver better answers for clients, and why he sees leaving the firm in a better place for the next generation as the Bain dream.
