Comparison · 12 material differences
The Conference Board Councils vs Convene
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
Convene
Christian CEOs, business owners and presidents in the United States, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives and other senior leaders in their organisations
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; Convene: CEO & Owner teams: CEOs, business owners and presidents.
- 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.; Convene: Not publicly disclosed. Convene's own membership page states: "Membership pricing is based on multiple factors, including company size, annual revenue, location, team type, and more. For accurate pricing information, please contact our team.".
Side by side
| The Conference Board Councils | Convene | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.) | 1996 ("In 1996, Brian Thatcher and five pioneering CEOs founded Convene" per its own story page, which also marks 2026 as its thirtieth anniversary. The organisation began as the "BBL Forum", started by Brian Thatcher and Ric Green out of Saddleback Church.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | Anaheim Hills, 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. | United States, with in-person and online teams; Convene also runs international teams. It does not publish a public list of team locations, only a zip-code search |
| 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. | Not publicly disclosed as a current figure. Convene states it has served "2000+ member companies over the last 25+ years", which is cumulative rather than active membership. |
| Chapters | 150 | Not publicly disclosed. Convene's locations page is a zip-code and team-type search rather than a published list; its team directory uses opaque internal identifiers. |
| Primary audience | Senior functional executives and C-suite officers at large organisations, joining as individuals in a role-specific peer group | Christian CEOs, business owners and presidents in the United States, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives and other senior leaders in their organisations |
| 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 Christian business leaders. Teams are composed of 10-15 peers from non-competing industries. Convene publishes no revenue or headcount threshold, though it says pricing depends partly on company size and annual revenue, implying a size-banded structure. |
| 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 & Owner teams: CEOs, business owners and presidentsverified 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 submit a membership application or enquiry form on the website; Convene then makes contact to explore fit before placing the candidate on a team with a Chair. There is no published sponsor or nomination requirement. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Council size is capped at around forty and members are vetted, but no acceptance rate is published. | Not publicly disclosed. Convene says it will "reach out to explore if this is the right next step" but publishes no acceptance data or screening standard. |
| 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. Convene's own membership page states: "Membership pricing is based on multiple factors, including company size, annual revenue, location, team type, and more. For accurate pricing information, please contact our team."verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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 business day a month with the team, plus a 60-90 minute one-to-one coaching session with the Chair, and annual regional and national gatherings |
| Peer forums | Function-specific councils of roughly forty senior executives, self-governed on agenda, vendor-free, meeting under the Chatham House Rule | Teams of 10-15 Christian business leaders from non-competing industries, led by a Convene Chair who is a seasoned business coach; teams run in person and online |
| Confidentiality | All council meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule and group size is limited; a confidential online peer community runs alongside | Teams are described as peer-advisory groups of non-competing leaders; Convene does not publish a written confidentiality code |
| Time commitment | Not documented | About one full business day a month plus a 60-90 minute coaching session |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Partial |
| Member directory | Partial | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Partial |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | Yes |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | Partial |
| Next-generation programming | No | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Conference Board Councils · Convene