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Los Angeles 2023

Thursday, April 27, 2023 7:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. PDT

Event Overview

Experience the entrepreneurial energy of thought leaders all in one room.

The Vistage Executive Summit has been crafted to inspire your leadership, equip you with latest findings in research, future-proof your business with economic insights, and most importantly, build connection with the powerful leaders in your community.

  • ITR Economics brings the economic landscape into view and helps leaders navigate the uncertainties ahead.
  • Vistage Research shares findings from the CEO Confidence Index to help leaders make better decisions quicker.
  • Leadership keynote will wrap up the day on an inspiring and thoughtful note. More details coming soon.
  • Thought leaders present breakout sessions on top-of-mind topics with fresh perspectives.

As a Vistage member, enjoy world-class leadership content and the opportunity to meet new faces in your community. Your insight and impact will make the day even more valuable!


The Member Excellence Awards program will celebrate incredible member stories in your community. Winners and finalists will be showcased at the Executive Summit. Learn more and nominate a member today!


Get ready for the day by downloading the My Vistage app and logging in. Expect to access speaker materials and more resources through the app on the day of the event.

Available for Vistage members only.

Event Speakers


Connor Lokar

Speaker and Senior Forecaster, ITR Economics

A Changing Landscape

The economic landscape will be changing in 2023, especially later in the year. Aggressive action by the Federal Reserve Board has also changed our outlook for 2024. We will discuss which segments will be impacted and others that will be more immune to interest rate and other pressures. We will also discuss how attendees can best prepare for the challenges and ongoing uncertainties, and we will offer business strategies and tactics that will allow for maximum profit potential given the economic landscape. We will also:

  • Analyze the Federal Reserve Board’s actions and impact on the economy.
  • Talk through key areas of disinflation and deflation.
  • Discuss varying opportunities in key markets.
  • Cover global trends and their impact on member businesses and on the US economy.
  • Analyze labor market conditions over the next several years.
  • Present an overview of the economic landscape through the rest of the decade.
  • And more!


Sandy Gennaro

The Rock n’ Roll Thought Leader, Beat The Odds Productions

Beat the Odds in Business and Life

My ½ century of navigating the murky, shark-infested waters of the music business has cultivated in me a keen sense of business AND people management, the highlights of which are divulged during my presentation intertwined with video and live drumming. I illustrate how corporate leadership correlates with being a drummer in a band. My audience is involved and participates in my presentation, much like a workforce should be with their leadership/organization. At the core of the principles represented by the acronym B.E.A.T.S.

  • Belief
  • Enthusiasm
  • Attitude
  • Tenacity
  • Service


Joe Galvin

Chief Research Officer, Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

Managing Workforce Velocity: Attention to Employee Retention

Workforce velocity will continue to plague CEOs as accelerating quit rates, rising wages and unprecedented transparency to new opportunities lure workers to greener pastures. Retaining skilled, experienced workers that align with your culture demands a focused strategy on the key elements of employee retention. Managing workforce velocity will increase the ability for small and midsize business to operate at full capacity, meet customer demand and scale for the future.

Agenda

JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE

7:00 a.m.
Registration opens

7:30 a.m.
Breakout Boost with industry experts

Breakfast buffet served

  • Eliminate Hiring & Management mistakes; How Data Analytics Save Time & Money
  • Hiring Top Sales Talent: There's Got to Be a Better Way!
  • Surviving and Thriving in a Slower Market
  • No Stone Left Unturned: Optimize Optionality with Financial Planning
  • Get What You Want From Your Business and Live Your Ideal Life

8:45 a.m.
LA Economic Outlook with ITR Economics

10:20 a.m.
Marketplace Mingle with business resources

10:45 a.m.
The CEO Connection with fellow members

11:20 a.m.
Retention Rally with Vistage Research

12:20 p.m.
Breakout Boost with industry experts

Lunch buffet served

  • M&A Is Dead – How To Prepare Now To Monetize Your Business When the Time Is Right
  • It’s Your Biggest Investment—of Time, Emotion, and Money: If You Sell Your Company, Sell it Well
  • Upskill Your Workforce and Build a Future-Ready Business
  • CEO's Candid Guide to Right People, Right Job, Right Fit To Scale the Business
  • How To Build a Business That Rapidly Scales and Grows
  • Winning the War for Talent: A CEO’s Guide to Building a Competitive Workforce

1:30 p.m.
Inspired Leadership with Sandy Gennaro

3:05 p.m.
Community Celebration with fellow members

Celebrate your community's Vistage Member Excellence Award winners and finalists and connect with fellow peers.


*agenda subject to change


Breakout sessions

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Breakout | Eliminate Hiring & Management Mistakes; How Data Analytics Save Time & Money

Presenter: Barry Shulman, Principal, Shulman Associates Search Services, Inc.

Experts agree 90% of business problems are people problems. Do you have the right people in the right roles? How do you assess employees and candidates? Can you accurately define and articulate job specs for every role in your company? Do your managers have the tools to effectively create and manage teams for maximum performance, profitability, and ROI? How do you address over-and-under performers, conflict resolution, and communication? Can you quickly and effectively create winning teams and predict how they'll work together? I’ll show you how to easily optimize your talent, no matter what industry your company is from.



Topic: Hiring, Recruiting, Sourcing

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Breakout | Hiring Top Sales Talent: There's Got to Be a Better Way!

Presenter: Steve Heroux, Founder/CEO, The Sales Collective

Having a skilled and motivated sales team is crucial for the success of your company. However, finding and hiring top sales talent can be a daunting and challenging task. That's why we've designed this workshop to help you learn the strategies and best practices for attracting, identifying, and hiring the best sales professionals for your organization. In this workshop, you'll learn:

  • The key traits and characteristics of top sales performers.

  • How to implement a hiring tool with a 92% success rate.

  • Why Sales DNA is the key to a better hiring process!


Topic: Hiring, Recruiting, Sourcing

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Breakout | Surviving and Thriving in a Slower Market

Presenter: Jason Kruger, President & Founder, Signature Analytics

With salaries and interest rates high, consumer demand waning, and an increasingly global workforce, business owners need actionable strategies to manage their operations intelligently. The more uncertain the economic environment, the more certain you need to be about the elements in your business you can control. This session will address cost controls, budgeting strategies, company-wide financial self-auditing, and effective scenario planning. You’ll take away a host of tools and action items to lower costs, increase profitability and run your business smarter.



Topic: Financial Management

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Breakout Breakout | No Stone Left Unturned: Optimize Optionality with Financial Planning

Presenter: Paul J. Brahim, CFP®, AIFA, Managing Director & SVP - Financial Advisor, Wealth Enhancement Group | Vistage Member

Does your financial plan give you optionality? Do you have the freedom to walk away from your business without having to sell it? Entrepreneurs excel at planning for the future of their businesses, but they often neglect their personal finances. Great outcomes don’t just happen – they require thoughtful planning and a keen understanding of your goals and priorities. In this session, you’ll learn how a real-life Vistage member with a 60-year-old family-run business created optionality using integrated, time-tested principles of tax, estate and investment planning.



Topic: Financial Management


7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Breakout | Get What You Want From Your Business and Live Your Ideal Life

Presenter: Philip Pfeifer, Certified EOS Implementer, EOS Worldwide

In this interactive workshop, Certified EOS Implementer™, Philip Pfeifer, will facilitate a fun and engaging accelerator session on EOS®. Here's what you will get:

  • Learn how to break through the ceiling and transform your business, your team, and ultimately your life.

  • Receive a workbook, with simple, practical tools you can use in your business right away.


This is not a "talk" but rather a facilitated roundtable where you can ask questions, hear from peers and go to work on your business.

Walk away with more confidence, energy, and a simpler perspective on your business.

Topic: Leadership: Mission, Vision, Purpose

12:30 - 1:30 pm

Lunch Breakout | M&A Is Dead – How To Prepare Now To Monetize Your Business When the Time Is Right

Presenter: Ryan Bristol – Managing Director-Wealth Management, UBS Financial Services Inc.

The volume of mergers and acquisitions is at a multi-year low.  As a business owner, you are hyper-focused on navigating the turbulent environment. In this session, we will help you take a step back and ask “What’s Next?” We’ll bring expert insights on personal, business and life planning before the sale or transition of your business.



Topic: Exit & Succession Planning

12:30 - 1:30 pm

Lunch Breakout | It’s Your Biggest Investment—of Time, Emotion, and Money: If You Sell Your Company, Sell it Well

Presenter: Matt Zimmer, Global Head of Investment Banking & Matt Gilmore, Managing Director & Partner, William Blair

Looking for ways to prepare for what to do—and what to avoid—before starting a sell-side process? Join two investment banking veterans for an interactive discussion on best practices proven to achieve world-class outcomes. Informed by 2,400+ transactions that William Blair has advised on over the past decade, this session highlights key learnings and practical insights for CEOs.

Takeaways include:

  • What makes a company valuable and attractive to investors

  • Understanding a transaction process, investor types, and keys to success

  • Common missteps to avoid


Topic: Financials: Mergers & Acquisitions

12:30 - 1:30 pm

Lunch Breakout | Upskill Your Workforce and Build a Future-Ready Business

Presenter: Sarah Grimstead, Regional Vice President, Insperity

In today’s post-pandemic landscape, a company’s path to success depends on the quality, adaptability, and resiliency of its people. Upskilling your workforce is an important place to start.
In this session, participants will learn:

  • Why upskilling your workforce matters, and the benefits to your organization

  • The employee attributes you should prioritize

  • How to get started with upskilling

  • What to watch out for


Topic: Talent Management: Retention & Engagement

12:30 - 1:30 pm

Lunch Breakout | CEO's Candid Guide to Right People, Right Job, Right Fit To Scale the Business

Presenter: Advisors from Culture Index

Join the Culture Index team to reveal the true fit of your executive team and leaders- who is in the right seat and who is not? Do you have the right team in place to scale your business? Not getting the top and bottom line growth by not hiring and obtaining the right team? In this session, you will be prepped to utilize data to make more objective human decisions in securing the right talent in order to drive sustainable growth. Walk away with new insights, tips, and practices to implement into your business and better align your people.



Topic: Communication & Alignment

12:30 - 1:30 pm

Lunch Breakout | How To Build a Business That Rapidly Scales and Grows

Presenter: Howard A. Lim, Business and Brand Architect, HOW CREATIVE

Emphasizing the valuable lessons learned from his business development and branding experiences, Howard A. Lim tailors his breakouts to suit Vistage members' specific needs and challenges. Mr. Lim uses client case studies from his years building multi-million to multi-billion dollar companies to demonstrate how blending strategic business planning with innovative branding solutions accelerates growth, brand equity, profitability, and value while attracting high-quality employees and loyal customers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Create a company culture that attracts and retains top talent and customers

  • Use disruptive scaling and growth strategies to create a greater ROI

  • Construct a culture that resonates with top talent and loyal customers


Topic: Customer Engagement: Market Development

12:30 - 1:30 pm

Lunch Breakout | Winning the War for Talent: A CEO’s Guide to Building a Competitive Workforce

Presenter: Dr. Eli Castle & Alex Ham, CEOs, TalentCompass

Discover why talent is crucial for gaining a sustainable advantage in today's economy and how data-driven insights can improve your talent acquisition process.
In this session you will:

  • Gain a better understanding of the current labor market.

  • Explore practical strategies for adapting to a changing talent landscape.

  • Learn how to update your intuition-based hiring practices with a repeatable, predictable, and scalable recruiting process.

  • Drive growth and position your organization for long-term success.


Topic: Hiring, Recruiting, Sourcing

Sponsors




Location

JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE
900 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA