Comparison · 9 material differences
The Conference Board Councils vs Vistage Australia and New Zealand
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 The Conference Board Councils
Senior functional executives and C-suite officers at large organisations, joining as individuals in a role-specific peer group
Peer advisory
Vistage Australia and New Zealand
CEOs, business owners, founders and senior executives with decision-making authority in established mid-sized or growing businesses in Australia and New Zealand
What the records say
- Role or title: The Conference Board Councils: A senior role matching the specific council: councils are organised by function and level, from CEO and CFO to chief of staff and functional heads; Vistage Australia and New Zealand: CEO, business owner, founder or executive with decision-making authority.
- Geographic restriction: The Conference Board Councils: No published geographic restriction; Vistage Australia and New Zealand: Australia and New Zealand.
- Annual dues: The Conference Board Councils: Not publicly disclosed. The Conference Board states that "Seats are available for individuals through an annual fee" but publishes no amount, and directs enquiries to a membership inquiry form.; Vistage Australia and New Zealand: Not publicly disclosed. Vistage Australia publishes no price and routes enquiries to a member advisor..
Side by side
| The Conference Board Councils | Vistage Australia and New Zealand | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Peer advisory |
| Founded | 1916 (The founding year is that of the parent organisation, The Conference Board, established in 1916. The date the Council programme itself began is not publicly disclosed.) | 1986 ("In 1986, Dr. Phil Meddings founded TEC Australia in Sydney" per Vistage's March 2024 acquisition release. The underlying TEC format dates to 1957 in Milwaukee.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | Sydney, Australia |
| Geographic footprint | Councils are grouped by region: North America (including a set of Canada councils), Europe and Asia. The Conference Board has offices in New York, Toronto, Brussels, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing. | Australia and New Zealand: groups in Sydney, Newcastle, Tamworth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland and Christchurch |
| Members | Council membership is not counted separately. The Conference Board reports more than 5,000 members in its global community, over 2,000 member companies including the majority of the Fortune 500, and more than 20,000 executives participating in its programmes each year. | 1,000as of March 2024 |
| Chapters | 150 | 10 |
| Primary audience | Senior functional executives and C-suite officers at large organisations, joining as individuals in a role-specific peer group | CEOs, business owners, founders and senior executives with decision-making authority in established mid-sized or growing businesses in Australia and New Zealand |
| Typical member | Each council is a group of roughly forty executives holding comparable senior roles across different industries. Councils exist for chief executives, CFOs, chief human resources officers, chief legal officers, chief operating officers, chief strategy officers, chief communications officers, chiefs of staff and many functional specialisms, including separate councils graded by company size such as a CFO Council for the Fortune 250. | Members are chief executives, owners and senior executives of small and midsize companies. Vistage says the model is designed for leaders managing complexity rather than early-stage start-ups, and that placement weighs leadership role, business size and industry mix. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | A senior role matching the specific council: councils are organised by function and level, from CEO and CFO to chief of staff and functional headsSome councils apply further filters, such as a CFO Council restricted to the Fortune 250 and separate divisional-CFO and Canada councils.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | CEO, business owner, founder or executive with decision-making authorityFrom the Vistage Australia membership FAQ: "you must be a senior leader such as a CEO, business owner, founder or executive with decision-making authority in a mid-sized or growing business".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Australia and New Zealandverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Yes | No |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | No |
| Application process | Prospective members apply for a specific council seat through The Conference Board's site, or are referred by an existing member through a referral programme. Candidates are vetted for fit against the council's role profile and the cap on seats. Council membership is one of four published membership types alongside Executive, C-Suite and Leadership Team memberships, which attach to a company rather than an individual. | Prospective members request a confidential, no-obligation conversation with a member advisor, who assesses fit against leadership role and business size and then places the candidate in a non-competing group with a specific Chair. Nomination or sponsorship is not required. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Council size is capped at around forty and members are vetted, but no acceptance rate is published. | Not publicly disclosed. Vistage says members are "selected based on leadership role, business size and ability to actively contribute" but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. The Conference Board states that "Seats are available for individuals through an annual fee" but publishes no amount, and directs enquiries to a membership inquiry form.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. Vistage Australia publishes no price and routes enquiries to a member advisor.verified September 2026 |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Annual fee per council seat; term length is not otherwise publicly disclosed | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Councils meet regularly in person, supplemented by an online peer community; The Conference Board also runs 20+ events a year and 100+ webcasts | One full-day or half-day group meeting a month depending on programme, plus regular one-to-one coaching sessions with the Chair |
| Peer forums | Function-specific councils of roughly forty senior executives, self-governed on agenda, vendor-free, meeting under the Chatham House Rule | Confidential peer advisory groups of 12-16 non-competing CEOs and business owners, each led by a trained Chair |
| Confidentiality | All council meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule and group size is limited; a confidential online peer community runs alongside | Groups are described as confidential and high-trust; Vistage's founding practice was strict confidentiality among non-competing members |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Roughly one meeting day a month plus a coaching session, per the published membership commitment |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Not documented |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Not documented |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Conference Board Councils · Vistage Australia and New Zealand