Comparison · 12 material differences
Academy for Chief Executives vs C12
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Peer advisory
Verified September 2026 Academy for Chief Executives
UK chief executives and managing directors of established mid-market companies
Peer advisory
C12
Christian chief executives, business owners and executives of growth-stage companies with at least ten employees and more than US$2 million in annual revenue.
What the records say
- Role or title: Academy for Chief Executives: Chief Executive or Managing Director, owner or employed leader of the business; C12: CEO, business owner, president, managing partner, executive director or business-unit general manager.
- Minimum company revenue: Academy for Chief Executives: Minimum £5 million turnover; C12: Greater than US$2,000,000 in annual revenue.
- Minimum employees: Academy for Chief Executives: At least 20 employees; C12: 10 or more employees.
- Geographic restriction: Academy for Chief Executives: United Kingdom; C12: No published geographic restriction.
- Annual dues: Academy for Chief Executives: Not publicly disclosed. The Academy never published membership fees and no reliable third-party figure was found.; C12: C12 publishes no dues schedule; amounts are set locally..
Side by side
| Academy for Chief Executives | C12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Peer advisory |
| Founded | Not documented | 1992 (Founded in October 1992 by Buck Jacobs, reportedly in Florida, to bring Christian business owners and chief executives together in small peer groups.) |
| Headquarters | Hedge End, United Kingdom | United States |
| Geographic footprint | United Kingdom; the Academy ran regional groups led by franchisee Chairs but never published a public list of locations | More than 160 metropolitan areas across five continents, with named operations including Brazil, South Africa, Kenya and Malaysia |
| Members | 400as of January 2015 | 4,900as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 30 | Not publicly disclosed as a forum count. C12 states it operates in "more than 160 major metropolitan areas" and is guided by "over 250 full-time Chairs", but publishes no total number of Forums. |
| Primary audience | UK chief executives and managing directors of established mid-market companies | Christian chief executives, business owners and executives of growth-stage companies with at least ten employees and more than US$2 million in annual revenue. |
| Typical member | Vistage's acquisition release described Academy members as "U.K. based business leaders, Chief Executives or Managing Directors, owners or employed leaders of companies with a minimum of £5 million turnover and at least 20 employees". A 2015 trade profile put the member range at £2 million to £200 million turnover, so the threshold appears to have tightened over time. | Members are Christian CEOs, owners, presidents, managing partners, executive directors and business-unit general managers. C12 reports an average member tenure of five to seven years, with some members of several decades' standing. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Chief Executive or Managing Director, owner or employed leader of the businessPer Vistage's 2018 acquisition release describing Academy membership.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | CEO, business owner, president, managing partner, executive director or business-unit general managerKey Player Forums exist separately for senior executives and managers below CEO level at member companies.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | Minimum £5 million turnoverPer Vistage's 2018 acquisition release. A 2015 trade profile described the member range as £2m-£200m turnover, suggesting the published floor rose over time.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Greater than US$2,000,000 in annual revenueStated in C12's FAQ; C12's apply-to-join page states the employee test without repeating a revenue minimum.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum employees | At least 20 employeesPer Vistage's 2018 acquisition release.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | 10 or more employeesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | United Kingdomverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | Yes |
| Sponsor required | No | Not documented |
| Application process | Historically, prospective members were recruited by a regional Academy Chair, who ran the fit assessment and placed the member in a non-conflicting group. No public application portal survives; enquiries now route to Vistage UK. | Candidates complete an application covering personal, business and financial information, and agree to a membership covenant on attendance and doctrine. C12 describes membership as invitation-only but open to any qualifying Christian CEO, owner or executive who meets the employee and revenue tests. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The Academy published no acceptance data. | Not publicly disclosed. C12 publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. The Academy never published membership fees and no reliable third-party figure was found.verified September 2026 | C12 publishes no dues schedule; amounts are set locally. |
| Monthly dues | Not publicly disclosed. The organisation no longer trades, so no current fee exists. | Not publicly disclosed. C12 states it is "a dues-based membership paid monthly" and that "dues amounts are determined locally based on market economics and dynamics". Dues cover monthly meetings, materials and one individual coaching session.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | C12 publishes no dues schedule; amounts are set locally. |
| Membership term | Not documented | Dues paid monthly; C12 reports average member tenure of five to seven years |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Historically monthly full-day group meetings hosted in rotation by members, plus a roughly two-hour one-to-one mentoring session with the Chair | Monthly in-person Forum plus a monthly one-hour FOCUS60 coaching session; C12 states the total commitment is less than 100 hours a year |
| Peer forums | Regional groups of non-competing chief executives and managing directors led by a franchisee Academy Chair | Monthly invitation-only Forums of Christian CEOs, owners and executives led by a full-time C12 Chair, described as sitting with around a dozen proven leaders. C12 does not publish an exact average Forum size. |
| Confidentiality | Groups were confidential; the organisation's public material stressed that members could raise issues they could not discuss with staff | Forums are described as confidential and invitation-only; C12 does not publish the text of its confidentiality terms. |
| Time commitment | Historically about one full day a month plus a two-hour mentoring session | Less than 100 hours a year per C12 |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Chapter-based | Forum-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Not documented | No |
| Online community | Not documented | Partial |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Not documented | Partial |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Not documented | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Academy for Chief Executives · C12