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Tugboat Institute · Requirements

Tugboat Institute membership requirements

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criterion Tugboat Institute publishes, with its source, the date it was verified and how confident we are in it, plus superseded figures, so you can see how the tests have moved.

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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

5 rows
CriterionPublished requirementNoteProvenance
Role or title Must be the CEO, President or Executive Chairperson of the company "Prospective members must be the CEO, President, or Executive Chairperson of an Evergreen company with a significant ownership stake." Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗
Minimum ownership stake Must hold a significant ownership stake; the business must be closely held with value-aligned owners who have no legal right to compel a sale or IPO No percentage is specified. The ownership test effectively excludes companies with investors who can force an exit. Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗
Minimum tenure in role Five years as CEO or President of the current company, or prior CEO or President experience The alternative test allows experienced chief executives who are new to their current company. Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗
Minimum company revenue At least US$10M in annual revenue Accompanied by two further financial tests: cash-flow positive for two years, and consistent growth. Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗
Other criterion Must have consciously chosen the Evergreen path over the venture or IPO path and commit to the Evergreen 7Ps principles The 7Ps are Purpose, Perseverance, People First, Private, Profit, Paced Growth and Pragmatic Innovation. Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗

How admission works

Application process
Candidates who believe they meet the criteria complete a two-step pre-application covering personal details and company information: legal structure, year founded, annual revenue for the last fiscal year, employee count, number of years profitable, website and address. The organization says it reviews every pre-application in detail and that a member of the team then makes contact to discuss next steps. Staff biographies refer to a candidacy process and to working with member referrals.
Invitation required
No
Sponsor required
Sometimes
Selectivity
Not publicly disclosed. The criteria are published in full but no acceptance rate, application volume or waitlist information is given.
Membership term
Not publicly disclosed
Primary audience
Chief executives, presidents and executive chairs with significant ownership of private companies that have deliberately rejected the venture-backed or IPO path, with at least US$10 million in annual revenue.
Typical member
Members must lead a closely held private company whose owners have no legal right to compel a sale or flotation, must hold a significant ownership stake themselves, and must have five years as chief executive or president of the current company or prior experience in that role. The company must have at least US$10 million in annual revenue, be cash-flow positive for two years and show consistent growth.

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 Tugboat Institute (Vistage, MacKay CEO Forums, Chief Executive Network, Academy for Chief Executives).

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

Sources

  1. Tugboat Institute, Tugboat Institute. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
  2. About Us - Tugboat Institute, Tugboat Institute. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
  3. What is Evergreen?, Tugboat Institute. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
  4. Evergreen Journal Plus, Tugboat Institute. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
  5. Tugboat Institute Membership, Tugboat Institute. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 2
  6. Membership Pre-Application, Tugboat Institute. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 3

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.