Bain & Company's Manny Maceda Outlines CEO Strategies for Fragmented Global Order at Davos 2026

Bain & Company Chair Manny Maceda delivered key insights at Davos 2026, emphasizing that chief executives must fundamentally rethink their strategic playbooks to navigate an increasingly fragmented global landscape. According to Maceda, the era of operating within a single "global" environment has definitively ended, requiring business leaders to develop deeper understanding of geopolitical and economic complexities.

Strategic Shift from Global to Country-Specific Operations

Maceda argued that modern CEOs must structure technology deployment and capital allocation decisions by individual countries rather than applying global frameworks. This approach necessitates careful consideration of market-specific factors before committing investments:

The Bain chair noted that cross-border investment decisions now reflect multiple complex factors including national security considerations, industrial policy, technology sovereignty, and capital controls. He emphasized that modern CEO mandates include proactive engagement with policymakers and political leadership to understand shifting regulatory frameworks and trade dynamics that influence enterprise strategy.

AI Evolution: From Efficiency Tool to Business Transformation

Maceda outlined AI's transition from a basic efficiency tool to a potential driver of new business models and revenue streams, positioning it as the next competitive battleground for companies. Bain categorizes AI utilization into three distinct layers:

• Redeployment of existing technology capabilities
• Productivity and labor efficiency gains
• Full business transformation initiatives

According to Maceda, the first two layers have already demonstrated results, particularly in reducing time spent on internal workflows and enhancing output. However, he warned that genuine transformation remains difficult and uneven across organizations. Companies continue grappling with how AI-native business models can replace or augment their core operations.

Bain's India Strategy and Market Outlook

Bain continues positioning India as a high-growth and structurally important market. Maceda highlighted that India sits at the intersection of digital adoption, favorable demographics, and policy-led capital formation, creating a long investment runway across consumer, financial services, technology, and infrastructure sectors.

The consulting firm entered India in 2006 and has built one of its fastest-growing practices globally across New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, now representing Bain's largest team in Asia. The offices serve diverse clients including global CEOs, Indian corporates, private equity firms, and mid-market companies across strategy, mergers and acquisitions, operations, and technology-led transformation.

India has been integrated into Bain's global client servicing model, enabling multinational work execution from the country. The firm influences India's economic conversation through comprehensive sector reports tracking retail consumption, venture capital and private equity flows, exports, e-retail penetration, and GDP-linked growth vectors.

Future Growth and Expansion Plans

Bain plans to scale hiring and deepen capabilities across India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia—three regions expected to account for higher consulting spend. The firm is prioritizing AI, cloud, and data partnerships with hyperscalers including AWS and Microsoft to form the technological backbone for its next growth phase. Adjacent services in sustainability, procurement optimization, and digital transformation are also receiving strategic focus as the company adapts to evolving client needs in the fragmented global landscape.