Comparison · 18 material differences
Academy for Chief Executives vs Women Presidents Organization
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
Women Presidents Organization
Women who own and run privately held companies above WPO's revenue thresholds.
What the records say
- Role or title: Academy for Chief Executives: Chief Executive or Managing Director, owner or employed leader of the business; Women Presidents Organization: Must lead the company and hold primary decision-making authority for day-to-day operations.
- Minimum company revenue: Academy for Chief Executives: Minimum £5 million turnover; Women Presidents Organization: US$2,000,000 in gross annual sales for a product-based business.
- Minimum employees: Academy for Chief Executives: At least 20 employees; Women Presidents Organization: No published minimum employees.
- Minimum ownership stake: Academy for Chief Executives: No published minimum ownership stake; Women Presidents Organization: Must hold an ownership interest in the business at some level, and the company must be privately held.
- Annual dues: Academy for Chief Executives: Not publicly disclosed. The Academy never published membership fees and no reliable third-party figure was found.; Women Presidents Organization: $2,000 a year.
Side by side
| Academy for Chief Executives | Women Presidents Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Peer advisory |
| Founded | Not documented | 1997 (Founded by Marsha Firestone; the first chapter was started in New York City.) |
| Headquarters | Hedge End, United Kingdom | New York, United States |
| Geographic footprint | United Kingdom; the Academy ran regional groups led by franchisee Chairs but never published a public list of locations | Chapters across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, South Africa and Australia |
| Members | 400as of January 2015 | Not currently disclosed. WPO does not publish a member total on its site; a 2022 account records 2,000 members across 137 chapters, which is now out of date. |
| Chapters | 30 | 145 |
| Primary audience | UK chief executives and managing directors of established mid-market companies | Women who own and run privately held companies above WPO's revenue thresholds. |
| 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 women who lead their own privately held companies, hold day-to-day decision-making authority and have an ownership interest. The entry threshold is US$2 million in gross annual sales for product-based businesses and US$1 million for service-based businesses, with higher tiers at US$10 million (Platinum) and US$50 million (Zenith). |
| 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 ↗ | Must lead the company and hold primary decision-making authority for day-to-day operationsverified 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 ↗ | US$2,000,000 in gross annual sales for a product-based businessBase (Chapter Member and Member-at-Large) threshold.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum employees | At least 20 employeesPer Vistage's 2018 acquisition release.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum employees |
| Minimum ownership stake | No published minimum ownership stake | Must hold an ownership interest in the business at some level, and the company must be privately heldverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Gender | No published gender | Women business ownersverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | United Kingdomverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| 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 apply and, if they meet the ownership, authority and revenue tests, are placed in a chapter in their geographic area. Women who meet the criteria but cannot access a chapter for geographic or other reasons can join as a Member-at-Large. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The Academy published no acceptance data. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. The Academy never published membership fees and no reliable third-party figure was found.verified September 2026 | $2,000 a yearStated by Women Presidents' Organization (2021-12-09): WPO Chapter Member (global, USD; $1M+ service / $2M+ product revenue). “CHAPTER ANNUAL FEE: $2,000”verified October 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Membership term | Not documented | Not documented |
| 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 chapter meetings for Chapter Members; Platinum and Zenith groups meet three times a year |
| Peer forums | Regional groups of non-competing chief executives and managing directors led by a franchisee Academy Chair | Chapters draw members from diverse non-competing industries and are facilitated by a professionally trained Chapter Chair. Chapter size is reported at a maximum of 20 members, a figure WPO does not confirm on its own pages. |
| Confidentiality | Groups were confidential; the organisation's public material stressed that members could raise issues they could not discuss with staff | Chapter meetings are confidential; members share business expertise in confidence. |
| Time commitment | Historically about one full day a month plus a two-hour mentoring session | Not documented |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Chapter-based | Chapter-based, Forum-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Not documented | Partial |
| Online community | Not documented | Partial |
| Member directory | Not documented | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Not documented | Partial |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Not documented | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Academy for Chief Executives · Women Presidents Organization