Comparison · 15 material differences
Vistage 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 Vistage
CEOs, business owners and senior executives of companies with US$5 million or more in annual revenue.
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: Vistage: CEO, founder or owner for core membership; separate tracks for C-level (non-CEO), executive VP and vice-president/division-head roles; Women Presidents Organization: Must lead the company and hold primary decision-making authority for day-to-day operations.
- Minimum company revenue: Vistage: US$5,000,000+ in annual revenue for core CEO membership; Women Presidents Organization: US$2,000,000 in gross annual sales for a product-based business.
- Minimum ownership stake: Vistage: 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.
- Gender: Vistage: No published gender; Women Presidents Organization: Women business owners.
- Annual dues: Vistage: $25,000 a year; Women Presidents Organization: $2,000 a year.
Side by side
| Vistage | Women Presidents Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Peer advisory |
| Founded | 1957 (Founded as The Executive Committee (TEC) when Bob Nourse brought together several Milwaukee-area executives; renamed Vistage globally in 2006.) | 1997 (Founded by Marsha Firestone; the first chapter was started in New York City.) |
| Headquarters | San Diego, United States | New York, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Operates in 40 countries, with peer groups meeting locally in cities rather than through member-run chapters | Chapters across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, South Africa and Australia |
| Members | 45,000as of September 2026 | 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 | Not applicable. Vistage has no member-run chapters; members join a local peer advisory group convened and led by a Vistage Chair. Vistage does not publish a group count. | 145 |
| Primary audience | CEOs, business owners and senior executives of companies with US$5 million or more in annual revenue. | Women who own and run privately held companies above WPO's revenue thresholds. |
| Typical member | Members are decision-makers at small and mid-sized private companies. Vistage frames its core member as generating "$5M+ in annual revenue" and facing the operational complexity that comes with that scale; separate programmes exist for non-CEO executives and emerging leaders. | 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 | CEO, founder or owner for core membership; separate tracks for C-level (non-CEO), executive VP and vice-president/division-head rolesverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Must lead the company and hold primary decision-making authority for day-to-day operationsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | US$5,000,000+ in annual revenue for core CEO membershipVistage frames this as the profile it serves rather than a hard rule; other programmes exist for smaller businesses and non-CEO executives.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 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 ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | Not documented |
| Application process | Prospective members complete an application form and are then contacted by a local Vistage Chair, who interviews them and decides whether to place them in a group. There is no published central admissions committee. | 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 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $25,000 a yearReported by Jed Daly, Infiniti Leadership (Jed Daly's own site) (2026): Vistage CEO groups led by Chair Jed Daly, Los Angeles (billed monthly). “The two CEO groups: approximately $25,000”verified October 2026 · source ↗ | $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 | $2,500 one-timeReported by Paige McGlauflin, Fortune (2023-01-08): Vistage new members, US. “New members pay a one-time initiation fee of $2,500.”verified October 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Membership term | Not documented | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Regular peer group meetings, generally monthly, plus one-to-one coaching sessions with the Chair | Monthly chapter meetings for Chapter Members; Platinum and Zenith groups meet three times a year |
| Peer forums | Peer advisory groups of 12-16 CEOs, business owners or key executives drawn from non-competing industries, facilitated by a Vistage 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 are described as confidential; Vistage does not publish its confidentiality terms. | Chapter meetings are confidential; members share business expertise in confidence. |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused | Chapter-based, Forum-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Yes | Partial |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Partial | 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: Vistage · Women Presidents Organization