Comparison · 16 material differences
Helm 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
Invitation-only community
Verified September 2026 Helm
Founders and CEOs of UK scale-up businesses past about £3 million in revenue
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 — Helm: Founder or CEO of the business; Vistage: CEO, founder or owner for core membership; separate tracks for C-level (non-CEO), executive VP and vice-president/division-head roles.
- Minimum company revenue — Helm: £3m+ revenue, or more than £3m raised; Vistage: US$5,000,000+ in annual revenue for core CEO membership.
- Minimum employees — Helm: Team size around 20 full-time equivalents; Vistage: No published minimum employees.
- Geographic restriction — Helm: United Kingdom scale-up businesses; Vistage: No published geographic restriction.
- Annual dues — Helm: £1,450 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
| Helm | Vistage | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Invitation-only community | Peer advisory |
| Founded | 2003 (Founded as The Supper Club in 2003 by Duncan Cheatle; rebranded to Helm. Helm's own site states the 2003 founding on every page footer line and in its FAQ.) | 1957 (Founded as The Executive Committee (TEC) when Bob Nourse brought together several Milwaukee-area executives; renamed Vistage globally in 2006.) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | San Diego, United States |
| Geographic footprint | United Kingdom: events across London and regional UK hubs, plus a digital community; Helm does not publish a full list of hubs | Operates in 40 countries, with peer groups meeting locally in cities rather than through member-run chapters |
| Members | 400as of September 2026 | 45,000as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | Helm has no chapters. It runs Forum groups and events in London and regional UK hubs but does not publish a hub list or a Forum count. | 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 | Founders and CEOs of UK scale-up businesses past about £3 million in revenue | CEOs, business owners and senior executives of companies with US$5 million or more in annual revenue. |
| Typical member | Members are founders and CEOs of UK scale-ups, with average member turnover of about £21 million according to Helm's own comparison page. Businesses span SaaS, deep tech, biotech, property, manufacturing and retail. Non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are explicitly not admitted. | 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 | Founder or CEO of the business"non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are not admitted as members".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 | £3m+ revenue, or more than £3m raisedHelm's published qualification panel: "Revenue £3m+ (or, raised >£3m)".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 ↗ |
| Minimum employees | Team size around 20 full-time equivalentsHelm's qualification panel gives "Team size 20 FTEs"; its FAQ says "a team of around 20 or more".verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum employees |
| Geographic restriction | United Kingdom scale-up businessesverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | A short application form (Helm says two to five minutes), then a 30-minute qualifying call with the membership team to check fit and identify a suitable Forum. Helm describes committee approval within about 48 hours, followed by a 45-minute onboarding call. Forum placement follows an introductory conversation with the prospective Forum Chair and happens within one to three months of joining. | 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. Helm states that every application is reviewed for fit and that non-founder executives, advisers and service providers are not admitted. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | £1,450 a yearClub membership: "£1,450 /per annum" on Helm's Get Started page. In-person experiences are pay-as-you-go at this tier.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 |
| Monthly dues | £495 a monthA Helm comparison landing page quotes "£495 Joining Fee + £495 per month" (about £5,940 a year), which conflicts with the annual figures on the Get Started page. Both are Helm's own pages; the discrepancy is unresolved.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Vistage does not publish membership pricing anywhere on its public site. |
| Initiation fee | £495 one-time"£495 Joining Fee" per Helm's comparison landing page. No joining fee appears on the Get Started page.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Vistage does not publish membership pricing anywhere on its public site. |
| Membership term | Annual, cancellable at any time under the published membership agreement | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Forum meets ten times a year (about three hours a month) plus an annual retreat; Helm runs two to three events a week, roughly 160 a year | Regular peer group meetings, generally monthly, plus one-to-one coaching sessions with the Chair |
| Peer forums | Chaired Forum groups of six to eight founders, capped at eight, matched on business size, experience level, personality mix and Chair expertise; Chairs are experienced or exited founders | Peer advisory groups of 12-16 CEOs, business owners or key executives drawn from non-competing industries, facilitated by a Vistage Chair. |
| Confidentiality | Events run under the Chatham House Rule; Forum is described as absolutely confidential ("What's discussed at Helm stays at Helm") | Groups are described as confidential; Vistage does not publish its confidentiality terms. |
| Time commitment | About three hours a month for Forum; Helm states there is no fixed overall commitment and that members typically attend an event every one to two months | Not documented |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Forum-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Partial | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Yes | Partial |
| Travel | Partial | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | High | Low |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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