About Jason
Expertise
Jason Heinrich is a partner and the Global Solution Leader for Bain Cost Transformation, including Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) and Zero-based Redesign (ZBR). He is based in Chicago.
Since joining Bain, Jason has worked with clients across real estate, manufacturing, retail, consumer products, agriculture, automotive, financial services, healthcare, tech and aerospace & defense. His experience includes growth strategy, cost reduction, merger integration and full business transformation.
Over the last 17 years, Jason has worked closely with change-oriented management teams and activist investors to drive large-scale cost transformation programs. This work has included a "clean-sheet" zero-based redesign of a $30B consumer company and the installation of full zero-based budgeting systems in CPG, global technology and drug distribution.
Jason also has deep expertise in indirect procurement, business process redesign, functional G&A optimization and manufacturing footprint realignment.
He has been cited in several business journals, including Forbes and The Wall Street Journal on zero-based budgeting and cost transformation.
Jason holds master's degrees in development studies and technology policy from the London School of Economics & Political Science and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively. He also earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Kansas State University.
Recent Insights
- “Why Zero-Based Budgeting Goes Wrong,” Brief, June 2018
- “European Companies Use Old-School Budget Tactic to Cut Costs; Zero-based budgeting is gaining popularity again at companies such as Unilever, Anheuser-Busch,” The Wall Street Journal, April 2017
- “Back to zero: Companies use 1970s budget tool to cut costs as they hunt for growth,” Reuters, January 2017, Financial Services
- “Big, Bold Bank Cost Transformation,” Brief, December 2016
- “How Zero-Based Budgeting Can Inspire Employees,” Forbes.com, December 2016, Article