The Conference Board Councils · Requirements

The Conference Board Councils membership requirements

Every criterion The Conference Board Councils publishes, with its source, the date it was verified and how confident we are in it, plus superseded figures, so you can see how the tests have moved.

Read a requirement as the organization's published floor, not as a promise. A revenue test may have alternative versions for different business types, chapters can set stricter local tests, and invitation-only bodies publish criteria that describe members rather than admit them.

Current published criteria

4 rows

Criterion	Published requirement	Note	Provenance
Invitation	Each council is an invitation-only network; members are vetted for fit and seats are capped	"Council Members are thoughtfully vetted to ensure the right fit, with membership capped to maximize value." A public form exists to apply for a council seat.	Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗
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 heads	Some councils apply further filters, such as a CFO Council restricted to the Fortune 250 and separate divisional-CFO and Canada councils.	Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗
Other criterion	Councils are capped at roughly forty executives	"Each of our Councils is a confidential, carefully vetted group of around 40 executives."	Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗
Other criterion	Vendors are excluded from council membership and meetings	The councils are described as vendor-free to keep exchanges candid.	Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗

How admission works

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.

Invitation required

Yes

Sponsor required

Sometimes

Selectivity

Not publicly disclosed. Council size is capped at around forty and members are vetted, but no acceptance rate is published.

Membership term

Annual fee per council seat; term length is not otherwise publicly disclosed

Primary audience

Senior functional executives and C-suite officers at large organisations, joining as individuals in a role-specific peer group

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.

Do you appear to meet them?

The qualification tool reads these rows against a profile you give in ranges and explains which criteria appear met, unclear or unmet. Check your profile

If not: alternatives to The Conference Board Councils (Pavilion, G100 Network, Business Roundtable, The Business Council).

Last verified: 6 September 2026 Report an error on this page

Sources

Our Councils — The Conference Board, The Conference Board. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
About Us — The Conference Board, The Conference Board. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
Membership — The Conference Board, The Conference Board. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 2

Source tiers follow the published hierarchy: 1 official site · 2 official membership materials · 3 application documents · 4 annual reports · 5 government filings · 6 reliable business publications · 7 credible interviews · 8 other reputable secondary sources. Sources and data policy.