Comparison · 13 material differences
Chief Executive Network vs Vistage
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
Vistage
CEOs, business owners and senior executives of companies with US$5 million or more in annual revenue.
What the records say
- Role or title — Chief Executive Network: Must be a CEO, President or Business Owner; Vistage: CEO, founder or owner for core membership; separate tracks for C-level (non-CEO), executive VP and vice-president/division-head roles.
- Geographic restriction — Chief Executive Network: United States; Vistage: No published geographic restriction.
- Industry restriction — Chief Executive Network: Industry networks cover architecture, biotechnology, engineering, general contracting, lodging/hospitality, manufacturing, software/technology and sub-contracting; Vistage: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues — Chief Executive Network: $5,500–12,280 a year; Vistage: Not publicly disclosed. Vistage publishes no pricing on its site; dues are quoted by the local Chair and vary by programme, role and company size. A 2026 secondary estimate (leadersadapt.com) puts CEO peer-group dues near US$1,380 a month, about US$16,500 a year, with a one-time fee of roughly US$2,500; Vistage does not confirm these figures..
Side by side
| Chief Executive Network | Vistage | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.) | 1957 (Founded as The Executive Committee (TEC) when Bob Nourse brought together several Milwaukee-area executives; renamed Vistage globally in 2006.) |
| Headquarters | Brentwood, United States | San Diego, United States |
| Geographic footprint | United States: national industry groups meeting at airport-hub cities, plus local boards in roughly ten metro areas | Operates in 40 countries, with peer groups meeting locally in cities rather than through member-run chapters |
| Members | 1,000as of September 2026 | 45,000as 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. | 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. |
| 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 | CEOs, business owners and senior executives of companies with US$5 million or more 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 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. |
| 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 ↗ | 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 ↗ |
| 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 ↗ | 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 ↗ |
| 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 | 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. | 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. |
| 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 |
| 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. Vistage publishes no pricing on its site; dues are quoted by the local Chair and vary by programme, role and company size. A 2026 secondary estimate (leadersadapt.com) puts CEO peer-group dues near US$1,380 a month, about US$16,500 a year, with a one-time fee of roughly US$2,500; Vistage does not confirm these figures.verified September 2026 |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Vistage does not publish membership pricing anywhere on its public site. |
| 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 ↗ | Vistage does not publish membership pricing anywhere on its public site. |
| Membership term | Annual | Not documented |
| 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 | Regular peer group meetings, generally monthly, plus one-to-one coaching sessions with the Chair |
| Peer forums | Groups of roughly 8-12 non-competing CEOs matched by industry and revenue band, professionally facilitated | Peer advisory groups of 12-16 CEOs, business owners or key executives drawn from non-competing industries, facilitated by a Vistage Chair. |
| Confidentiality | CEN describes meetings as confidential with a strict no-sell rule and no vendors in the room | Groups are described as confidential; Vistage does not publish its confidentiality terms. |
| 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 |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Not documented | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Partial |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Low | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Chief Executive Network · Vistage