Comparison · 17 material differences
Chief Executive Network vs Family Business Alliance
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 Chief Executive Network
CEOs, presidents and owners of privately held and mid-market US companies, grouped with non-competing peers in the same industry and revenue band
Family-business organization
Family Business Alliance
Family-owned businesses in West Michigan: owners and family leaders running the business, next-generation family members preparing to lead, and the non-family executives who work…
What the records say
- Role or title: Chief Executive Network: Must be a CEO, President or Business Owner; Family Business Alliance: No published role or title.
- Minimum company revenue: Chief Executive Network: Networks span roughly $5 million to $2.5 billion in company revenue; Family Business Alliance: No published minimum company revenue.
- Geographic restriction: Chief Executive Network: United States; Family Business Alliance: West Michigan, centred on Grand Rapids.
- Industry restriction: Chief Executive Network: Industry networks cover architecture, biotechnology, engineering, general contracting, lodging/hospitality, manufacturing, software/technology and sub-contracting; Family Business Alliance: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues: Chief Executive Network: $5,500–12,280 a year; Family Business Alliance: $625 a year.
Side by side
| Chief Executive Network | Family Business Alliance | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Family-business organization |
| Founded | 1990 (CEN's own history page dates the launch to 1990, following work by Dr. Ronald E. Wiley leading CEO groups in the 1980s. CEN publishes no separate corporate address; the postal address in its own privacy policy is that of its parent, Chief Executive Group, LLC, 105 West Park Dr., Suite 400, Brentwood, Tennessee. Member enquiries route to a Lawrence, Kansas telephone number.) | 2006 (The Alliance's about page states it was "Founded in 2006 by family business leaders who saw the need to establish a supportive community for family business professionals" and marks 2026 as its 20th year. Secondary sources describe the launch as being spearheaded by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the Family Owned Business Institute at Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business.) |
| Headquarters | Brentwood, United States | Grand Rapids, United States |
| Geographic footprint | United States: national industry groups meeting at airport-hub cities, plus local boards in roughly ten metro areas | West Michigan, based in Grand Rapids |
| Members | 1,000as of September 2026 | 200as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | CEN does not publish a total count of peer groups. Its 'By Location' page names local board markets and its 'By Industry' page names eight industry networks. | A single-market organisation with no chapters. |
| Primary audience | CEOs, presidents and owners of privately held and mid-market US companies, grouped with non-competing peers in the same industry and revenue band | Family-owned businesses in West Michigan: owners and family leaders running the business, next-generation family members preparing to lead, and the non-family executives who work alongside them |
| Typical member | CEN says most members run companies with roughly $10 million to $1 billion in revenue, with networks spanning $5 million to $2.5 billion. The industry concentration is in manufacturing, distribution, technology and software, architecture/engineering and construction trades. | Members are family-owned companies in the Grand Rapids region across a wide size range. The dues scale runs from a Small Business tier restricted to firms under $3 million in annual revenue up to a $10,000 Community tier, so both very small family firms and substantial regional employers sit in the same organisation. Peer groups also admit non-family key executives. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Must be a CEO, President or Business OwnerCEN's 2026 member guide states the personal membership criterion verbatim.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| Minimum company revenue | Networks span roughly $5 million to $2.5 billion in company revenueCEN's guide says it "has networks from $5 Million to $2.5 Billion" and that most members run $10 million-$1 billion companies. There is no single published floor.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum company revenue |
| Geographic restriction | United StatesCEN describes itself as a US-based network for US CEOs.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | West Michigan, centred on Grand Rapidsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | Industry networks cover architecture, biotechnology, engineering, general contracting, lodging/hospitality, manufacturing, software/technology and sub-contractingCEN does not run an industry network for every sector.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Prospective members request a member guide and meeting agenda through the website or by phone, then speak with CEN staff about fit. CEN places the candidate in a group matched by industry, revenue band and region, checking that no direct competitor is already in the room. There is no published application form or committee vote. | Companies join by selecting one of the five published membership tiers. Peer group entry is separate: applicants complete an FBA Peer Group Application or contact the Director of Membership, who advises which of the three streams fits, and are then placed into a group of eight to ten peers at a comparable career stage. |
| Selectivity | No acceptance rate is published. CEN says groups are "intentionally kept small" and that members are vetted for comparable scale and competitor-free status. | Not publicly disclosed: membership appears open to family-owned businesses in West Michigan at the published rates. Peer group placement is curated by staff rather than open. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $5,500–12,280 a yearNational industry networks; CEN's own 2026 guide gives "$5,500 to $12,280 (Based on co size)". Includes benchmark research and a conference.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $625 a yearSmall Business tier, for businesses earning less than $3 million annually: 2 signature event tickets, 1 peer group slot, leadership programme and partner workshop access.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | No membership initiation fee is published.verified September 2026 |
| Local chapter dues | $6,400–9,500 a yearLocal boards: "$6,400 for core membership ($9,500 option includes benchmark research and a conference)" per CEN's own 2026 guide.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Five published annual tiers from $625 to $10,000, each carrying a defined allocation of event tickets, peer group slots and programme registrations. Peer group placement is charged separately. |
| Programme fee | CEN's public web pages do not carry prices and direct enquirers to request a brochure; the figures above come from CEN's own downloadable 2026 guide. A third-party summary of that guide describes membership as "less than $1,000 per month" for most categories, which is consistent with the industry-network range. | $625 one-timeOne-time placement fee for the NextGen Peer Group. Placement fees for the NowGen and KeyGroup streams are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | National industry groups meet twice a year for two days; local boards meet quarterly for half a day; plus national summits and online masterclasses | Peer groups meet monthly for half-day sessions; the Alliance holds more than 16 events a year alongside its succession, leadership and governance programmes |
| Peer forums | Groups of roughly 8-12 non-competing CEOs matched by industry and revenue band, professionally facilitated | Peer groups of eight to ten members with a seasoned outside professional as moderator, in three streams: NowGen (family members currently running the business), NextGen (younger family members not yet leading) and KeyGroup (non-family key executives) |
| Confidentiality | CEN describes meetings as confidential with a strict no-sell rule and no vendors in the room | The Alliance describes its peer groups as confidential spaces built on a circle of trust, and states that networking primarily for lead generation is not a programme goal. No written confidentiality policy is published. |
| Time commitment | Roughly four to six meeting days a year plus quarterly mentor calls, per CEN's published meeting cadence | Peer group members commit to a monthly half-day meeting |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused | Forum-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | No |
| Online community | Partial | Partial |
| Member directory | Not documented | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Not documented |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | Yes |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Chief Executive Network · Family Business Alliance