Ernesto Pagano

Managing Director & Partner

BCG

Ernesto Pagano is a Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and currently has the role of Global Head of Media. Since joining BCG in 2009, Ernesto has been a leader of the education practice, with a focus on higher education, edtech, publishing, online learning, professional development and upskilling. His professional journey reflects his expertise in management consulting, entrepreneurial acumen, and deep commitment to fostering innovation. Ernesto specializes in growth strategy, change management, and operating model transformation. He has led numerous transformative initiatives across media, education, and B2B services industries. These efforts have included redesigning organizational structures, optimizing go-to-market strategies, and driving cost transformation to improve operational efficiency and profitability. Ernesto has been a loyal participant of ASU-GSV, and in the past he has facilitated panels and presentations on various topics: new models for upskilling, future of OPM, innovation in digital marketing, opportunities in the certificate and credentials market. With BCG he publishes frequently on education topics, and most recently he conducted a study on trends in corporate training. Ernesto is originally from Italy, and before joining BCG, he was an M&A banker in the Media team across London and Hong Kong.