Comparison · 13 material differences
The Conference Board Councils vs The Business Council
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
Invitation-only community
The Business Council
Sitting chief executives of leading multinational companies
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; The Business Council: Chief executive officer of a leading multinational business.
- 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.; The Business Council: Not publicly disclosed.
Side by side
| The Conference Board Councils | The Business Council | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Invitation-only community |
| 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.) | 1933 ("Originally convened in 1933 to advise the executive branch of the U.S. Government"; it began life as the Business Advisory Council attached to the Department of Commerce and later separated from government.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | Washington, United States |
| 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. | Based in Washington, D.C.; membership is drawn from chief executives of leading multinational businesses, including some headquartered outside the United States |
| 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. | 250as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 150 | No chapters; the Council convenes as a single body at three meetings a year |
| Primary audience | Senior functional executives and C-suite officers at large organisations, joining as individuals in a role-specific peer group | Sitting chief executives of leading multinational companies |
| 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. | Active members are serving chief executives of large multinational businesses, selected as individuals rather than as company representatives. Members who leave the chief executive role move to a graduate-member category. The published lists include chief executives of major US public companies alongside a smaller number of non-US companies. |
| 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 ↗ | Chief executive officer of a leading multinational business"limited to 250 active members, each of whom is selected on the basis of personal qualities and position as the chief executive officer of a leading multinational business."verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Yes | Yes |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | Yes |
| 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. | There is no application. Members invite peers, and candidates are selected on the basis of personal qualities and their position as chief executive of a leading multinational business. The public site offers only a contact form for those wanting to learn more. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Council size is capped at around forty and members are vetted, but no acceptance rate is published. | Active membership is capped at 250. No acceptance rate, candidate volume or selection procedure is published. |
| 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 disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | No dues or meeting fees are published; the Council's public site directs prospective enquiries to a contact form only. |
| Event costs | No fee figure is published for council seats or for any other Conference Board membership tier. Companies with under US$1 billion in annual revenue are pointed to a separate set of membership options. | Not publicly disclosed. The Council holds three meetings a year but publishes no attendance cost.verified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Annual fee per council seat; term length is not otherwise publicly disclosed | Active membership runs while the member serves as a chief executive; on leaving that role members move to the graduate-member category |
| 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 | Three meetings a year |
| Peer forums | Function-specific councils of roughly forty senior executives, self-governed on agenda, vendor-free, meeting under the Chatham House Rule | Whole-membership meetings with panels, interviews and presentations; no standing small groups are described |
| Confidentiality | All council meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule and group size is limited; a confidential online peer community runs alongside | The Council describes its meetings as taking place in an "intimate and safe environment"; no written confidentiality policy is published |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | No |
| Online community | Yes | Partial |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Partial |
| Retreats | No | Yes |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | Not documented |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | 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: The Conference Board Councils · The Business Council