Comparison · 15 material differences
Chief Executive Network vs Tugboat Institute
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
Peer advisory
Tugboat Institute
Chief executives, presidents and executive chairs with significant ownership of private companies that have deliberately rejected the venture-backed or IPO path, with at least…
What the records say
- Role or title: Chief Executive Network: Must be a CEO, President or Business Owner; Tugboat Institute: Must be the CEO, President or Executive Chairperson of the company.
- Minimum company revenue: Chief Executive Network: Networks span roughly $5 million to $2.5 billion in company revenue; Tugboat Institute: At least US$10M in annual revenue.
- Minimum ownership stake: Chief Executive Network: No published minimum ownership stake; Tugboat Institute: Must hold a significant ownership stake; the business must be closely held with value-aligned owners who have no legal right to compel a sale or IPO.
- Geographic restriction: Chief Executive Network: United States; Tugboat Institute: No published geographic restriction.
- Annual dues: Chief Executive Network: $5,500–12,280 a year; Tugboat Institute: Not publicly disclosed. No membership fee appears anywhere on the public site; prospective members are routed to a pre-application and a follow-up conversation..
Side by side
| Chief Executive Network | Tugboat Institute | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Peer advisory |
| 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.) | 2013 (The About Us page dates the founding to 2013, when Dave Whorton - previously a founder of four Silicon Valley companies and an investor at two venture and private equity firms - coined the term "Evergreen" and, with the help of Chris Alden, created Tugboat Institute following a small gathering of leaders in Sun Valley, Idaho in October of that year.) |
| Headquarters | Brentwood, United States | Sun Valley, United States |
| Geographic footprint | United States: national industry groups meeting at airport-hub cities, plus local boards in roughly ten metro areas | United States focused, with local in-person forums grouped by member geography and virtual "elastic" forums; the pre-application form accepts company addresses in any country. |
| Members | 1,000as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. The organization refers to drawing on "hundreds of Evergreen companies" for its content platform but publishes no membership total. |
| 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. | The organization runs local in-person forums based on member geography plus virtual forums, but does not publish a count or a list of locations. |
| 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 | Chief executives, presidents and executive chairs with significant ownership of private companies that have deliberately rejected the venture-backed or IPO path, with at least US$10 million in annual revenue. |
| 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 must lead a closely held private company whose owners have no legal right to compel a sale or flotation, must hold a significant ownership stake themselves, and must have five years as chief executive or president of the current company or prior experience in that role. The company must have at least US$10 million in annual revenue, be cash-flow positive for two years and show consistent growth. |
| 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 ↗ | Must be the CEO, President or Executive Chairperson of the company"Prospective members must be the CEO, President, or Executive Chairperson of an Evergreen company with a significant ownership stake."verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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 ↗ | At least US$10M in annual revenueAccompanied by two further financial tests: cash-flow positive for two years, and consistent growth.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum ownership stake | No published minimum ownership stake | Must hold a significant ownership stake; the business must be closely held with value-aligned owners who have no legal right to compel a sale or IPONo percentage is specified. The ownership test effectively excludes companies with investors who can force an exit.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | United StatesCEN describes itself as a US-based network for US CEOs.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| 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 | Sometimes |
| 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. | Candidates who believe they meet the criteria complete a two-step pre-application covering personal details and company information: legal structure, year founded, annual revenue for the last fiscal year, employee count, number of years profitable, website and address. The organization says it reviews every pre-application in detail and that a member of the team then makes contact to discuss next steps. Staff biographies refer to a candidacy process and to working with member referrals. |
| 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. The criteria are published in full but no acceptance rate, application volume or waitlist information is given. |
| 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 ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. No membership fee appears anywhere on the public site; prospective members are routed to a pre-application and a follow-up conversation.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Tugboat Institute publishes detailed eligibility criteria but no pricing of any kind. |
| 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 ↗ | Tugboat Institute publishes detailed eligibility criteria but no pricing of any kind. |
| Event costs | 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. | Not publicly disclosed. The Summit, Exemplar Visit and Gathering of Teams are described as member experiences without published pricing.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual | Not publicly disclosed |
| 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 | Forum groups meet through the year, locally in person or virtually; three annual gatherings - the Summit each summer in Sun Valley, the Exemplar Visit at a member company each autumn, and the Gathering of Teams in February |
| Peer forums | Groups of roughly 8-12 non-competing CEOs matched by industry and revenue band, professionally facilitated | Confidential forum groups described as a structured environment balancing personal growth and business insight; members join either a local in-person forum based on geography or an "elastic" forum that meets virtually through the year and in person at Tugboat events |
| Confidentiality | CEN describes meetings as confidential with a strict no-sell rule and no vendors in the room | The organization describes its forums as "a safe space" and its community as defined by trust; it publishes no written confidentiality policy. |
| Time commitment | Roughly four to six meeting days a year plus quarterly mentor calls, per CEN's published meeting cadence | Not documented |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused | Forum-based, Event-focused, Chapter-based, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Yes |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | Partial |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
Report an error on this page
Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Chief Executive Network · Tugboat Institute