Bruce Henderson
Born 1915 · Age 110
American businessman and management consultant; founder of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Creator/popularizer of the experience curve and the BCG growth-share matrix; influential writer and teacher in business strategy.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Nashville, Tennessee
Bruce Doolin Henderson was born on a farm in Nashville, Tennessee.
Enrolled at Peabody Demonstration School (PDS)
Entered Peabody Demonstration School in fourth grade; remained there through high school graduation.
High school graduation (University School of Nashville / PDS)
Graduated high school in 1932; played on the high school football team while attending PDS.
Graduated Vanderbilt University (BS in Mechanical Engineering)
Completed an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University.
Started studies at Harvard Business School
Enrolled at Harvard Business School after Vanderbilt (did not complete program).
Left Harvard Business School 90 days before graduation
Departed HBS just shy of graduation to take a position with Westinghouse Corporation.
Joined Westinghouse Corporation
Began an 18-year career at Westinghouse, rising through management ranks.
Named one of Time magazine's top 10 newsmakers under 30 (approx.)
Sources note he was named one of Time magazine's top 10 newsmakers under 30; exact year not provided in sources — estimated here for chronology.
Became Vice President at Westinghouse
Promoted to vice president at Westinghouse at age 37 — one of the company's youngest VPs.
Appointed to Marshall Plan evaluation team
President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to a five-analyst team to evaluate foreign aid programs in Germany under the Marshall Plan.
Left Westinghouse to join Arthur D. Little
Joined consulting firm Arthur D. Little as senior vice president for management services.
BCG first-month billings were $500
The new consulting arm billed only US$500 in its first month of operations.
Created BCG publication 'Perspectives' (marketing/idea vehicle)
Launched 'Perspectives' as a marketing and intellectual vehicle for BCG; Henderson wrote extensively for it for many years.
Defined BCG's unique positioning as 'strategy consultants'
Henderson set BCG's imprint as focused on business strategy — making strategy the firm's defining specialty and marketing it through Publications and recruiting.
Aggressively recruited top business school graduates
Under Henderson, BCG began attracting top graduates (Harvard, Stanford) by offering high pay and stretching career opportunities — shaping the consulting talent market.
Left Arthur D. Little over leadership disagreements
Departed Arthur D. Little in 1963 after disagreements with firm leadership.
Founded what became Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Accepted challenge from the Boston Company CEO to create a consulting arm — launched the Management and Consulting Division of the Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company in Boston; this became BCG.
Hired second consultant, Arthur P. Contas
Henderson expanded his firm by hiring Arthur P. Contas as the second consultant in December 1963.
Decision to specialize BCG in business strategy
Henderson and early team decided to define BCG's specialty as business strategy — a pivotal strategic positioning of the firm.
Published 'Brinkmanship in Business' (Harvard Business Review)
Authored HBR article arguing competitive brinkmanship as a business tactic (March 1967).
Began development of growth-share matrix & experience-curve work
Collaborative work at BCG began on the concepts that evolved into the growth-share matrix and further developed the experience curve.
Published 'The Product Portfolio' (BCG Perspective) — BCG Matrix
The theory underpinning the growth-share matrix (BCG Matrix) was laid out in the BCG perspective 'The Product Portfolio' (1970).
Popularized the BCG growth‑share matrix (cash cows/stars/etc.)
Through BCG publications in the early 1970s, Henderson popularized the growth‑share matrix framework (categorizing businesses as stars, cash cows, question marks, dogs).
Popularized the 'Experience Curve' concept
Henderson's work established the experience curve as a managerial tool: costs decline as accumulated experience doubles.
Published 'Perspectives on Experience' (Experience Curve)
Published 'Perspectives on Experience' (1972), elaborating the Experience Curve concept: costs fall as cumulative experience doubles.
Made BCG independent and established ESOP under ERISA
In 1974 BCG became an independent business; Henderson took advantage of ERISA and set up an employee stock ownership plan to buy BCG from The Boston Company.
Started ESOP buyout process
The ESOP begun in 1974 initiated the process of buying BCG from its parent The Boston Company.
Published quote/article themes on 'Brinkmanship in business' (public remarks)
Articulated the concept that successful competition often requires a posture of cooperation while ensuring one's own advantage (quote often cited from 1976).
BCG revenue split US vs overseas reached parity
By the end of 1977, BCG's revenues were split about evenly between the United States and overseas, reflecting international expansion.
Inducted as Distinguished Alumnus — Vanderbilt School of Engineering
Vanderbilt's School of Engineering inducted Henderson as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1978.
ESOP buyout of BCG completed (BCG employee ownership)
The employee stock ownership plan completed the buyout of BCG from The Boston Company in 1979, five years ahead of schedule.
Published book 'Henderson on Corporate Strategy'
Authored and published 'Henderson on Corporate Strategy' (HarperCollins, 1979).
Stopped writing regularly for Perspectives
Henderson wrote extensively for 'Perspectives' until 1980, at which point his regular authorship tapered.
Stepped down as President and CEO of BCG; succeeded by Alan Zakon
Henderson left the CEO/President role in 1980; by then BCG had grown from a one-man operation to seven offices and 249 consultants.
Published book 'Logic of Business Strategy'
Authored 'Logic of Business Strategy' (HarperCollins, 1984).
BCG endowed the 'Bruce D. Henderson Scholarship' at Vanderbilt's Owen School
BCG established the Bruce D. Henderson Scholarship in 1985 to honor Henderson and support outstanding MBA students at Vanderbilt Owen School.
Began teaching at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management
After retiring from BCG, Henderson taught at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.
Received Distinguished Alumnus Award — University School of Nashville
The University School of Nashville honored Henderson with its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1985.
Stepped down as BCG Chairman and retired
Henderson continued as chairman until 1985, when he retired from BCG and moved to Nashville to teach.
Bruce D. Henderson Scholarship established at Vanderbilt Owen
The Bruce D. Henderson Scholarship was endowed in 1985 by BCG to honor Henderson; awarded to outstanding first-year MBA students at the Owen School.
Published 'The Origin of Strategy' (Harvard Business Review)
Henderson authored 'The Origin of Strategy' (HBR, November 1989), his final published article exploring strategy as analogous to natural competition.
BCG employee count reported at 1,300 (NYT reference)
A 1992 New York Times piece referenced BCG as having about 1,300 employees (reflecting firm's continued growth after Henderson's era).
New York Times obituary published
The New York Times published an obituary (July 24, 1992) noting Henderson's contributions and BCG's prominence.
Suffered a stroke (approx.)
Henderson suffered a stroke at his home in Nashville approximately ten days before his death (date derived from obituary note).
Died in Nashville, Tennessee
Bruce D. Henderson died on July 20, 1992, ten days after suffering a stroke; survived by his second wife Bess, four children and seven grandchildren.
Memorial service at Harvard Memorial Church
A widely attended memorial service was held at the Memorial Church in Harvard Yard (Dec 11, 1992) with speakers John S. Clarkson, George Stalk, and Alan Zakon.
BCG endowed the Bruce D. Henderson Chair in International Management at INSEAD
BCG endowed the Bruce D. Henderson Chair in International Management at INSEAD; the chair was announced in June 1995 and is held by W. Chan Kim (at time of sources).
Bruce D. Henderson Chair in Strategy endowed at Vanderbilt Owen (by Bess)
Henderson's wife, Bess, endowed the Bruce D. Henderson Chair in Strategy at Vanderbilt Owen after his death (exact year not specified; commonly reported as posthumous).
BCG launched the BCG Henderson Institute (100th birthday honor)
On what would have been Henderson's 100th birthday (April 30, 2015), BCG launched the BCG Henderson Institute in his honor.
BCG Henderson Institute ranked third Best For‑Profit Global Think Tank
In January 2018 the BCG Henderson Institute was ranked the 3rd Best For‑Profit Global Think Tank by the University of Pennsylvania (Go To Think Tank Index).
Key Achievement Ages
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