Chief Executives Council

What Chief Executives Council does

Chief Executives Council is a private, Chicago-headquartered membership community and content platform launched in March 2023 for CEOs, Presidents, Founders, and other senior C-Suite executives. Membership is free for qualifying chief executives, who gain access to articles, whitepapers, webinars, the CEO Insights Interview Series, the annual CEO Pinnacle Awards recognition program, and a vetted Resource Directory of service providers. The organization publishes recurring proprietary research, including the annual CEO Sentiment Study (with its Financial Performance Index and Spending/Budget Index) and the CEO Talent Study, and has expanded into adjacent personas such as a CFO/Controller Sentiment Study and a forthcoming State of Corporate AI Talent Study.

The platform is built on standard content-management technology — the website runs on WordPress — and does not develop proprietary software or hardware products. AI-related offerings are limited to referral-based AI Prompting and AI Automation certifications delivered through a partnership with Ziplines and Arizona State University, plus editorial coverage of AI topics in articles and research. The organization is led by CEO Neil Brown and operates from Chicago with a global membership claim.

The business model is sponsorship-driven rather than membership-fee-driven. Revenue flows from two streams: Premiere Sponsorships structured in tiered packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) with bundled eblasts, webcast participation, content syndication, banner advertising, custom emails, guest articles, testimonial videos, and custom research sponsorship; and Resource Directory listings purchased by service providers targeting the C-Suite audience. Named sponsors include Allianz Trade, Citrin Cooperman, Bill.com, Legal Services Link, Modern Marketing Partners, and VAST, alongside directory vendors such as Sage Intacct, BlackLine, Auditoria, Centage, Emburse, LeaseAccelerator, and Thoolie. No revenue, funding, or headcount figures are disclosed, and the ownership structure resembles a professional association rather than a venture-backed entity.

Name

Chief Executives Council

Legal name

Chief Executives Council

Website

https://chiefexecutivescouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chief Executives Council is a Chicago-based, private membership community launched in 2023 that provides free resources, research, awards, and networking for CEOs, Presidents, Founders, and C-Suite executives, funded through corporate sponsorships and vendor directory listings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Membership and Professional Association Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reputation Management & Executive Thought Leadership (MPAAADAK), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), C-Suite & Senior Executive Coaching (EDABANAA)

Keywords

• Executive networking community
• CEO peer benchmarking
• Professional development resources
• Leadership recognition awards
• C-suite research studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Programs: Chief Executives Council relies on corporate sponsors to fund programs and initiatives. Sponsors can participate in Premiere Sponsorship tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) with bundled features such as eblasts, webcast participation, content syndication, banner advertising, custom emails, guest articles, testimonial videos, and custom research sponsorship. A la Carte options are also available.
2. Resource Directory Listings: Relevant companies and brands serving CEOs and the C-Suite can apply for a Resource Directory listing that includes logo placement, a 300-500 word company description, and contact information. This provides lead generation for vendors serving the executive community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chief Executives Council operates a free membership community and content platform for CEOs, Presidents, Founders, and C-Suite executives. It delivers peer networking, annual research studies (CEO Sentiment Study, CEO Talent Study, CFO/Controller Sentiment Study), the CEO Insights Interview Series, the CEO Pinnacle Awards recognition program, a CEO Newsletter, AI certifications through a Ziplines/Arizona State University partnership, and a Resource Directory of vetted service providers. The organization funds its operations through Premiere Sponsorship tiers and Resource Directory listings.

Product overview

Chief Executives Council is a membership community and content platform for CEOs, Presidents, Founders, and C-Suite executives offering a portfolio of professional development resources and programs. The core offerings include the annual CEO Pinnacle Awards recognition program and CEO Insights Interview Series for peer learning, paired with annual research studies (CEO Sentiment Study, CEO Talent Study, CFO/Controller Sentiment Study) that quantify executive benchmarks. The organization also provides AI Certifications through an Arizona State University partnership, delivers a CEO Newsletter for ongoing communication, maintains a Resource Directory of vetted service providers, and hosts webinars covering topics including AI adoption, economic outlook, and ERP strategy. All programs are provided at no cost to chief executives, funded through sponsorship and membership fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEO Pinnacle Awards Annual awards program recognizing highest achievements of Chief Executive Officers, Presidents, and Founders. Winners selected via screening algorithm and blue-chip judge panel across 7 categories (Small Business, Medium Business, Enterprise, Startup, Not-For-Profit, Government, Other) with Public and Private sub-categories. Registration is free for subscribers and non-subscribers.
• CEO Insights Interview Series Video interview series featuring experienced executives sharing secrets to success, career advice, and big ideas for aspiring and seasoned corporate executives.
• CEO Sentiment Study Annual research study quantifying CEO Financial Performance Index (FPI) and CEO Spending/Budget Index (SBI) to benchmark strategic priorities, financial outlooks, and talent management trends among C-Suite executives.
• CEO Talent Study Annual research study providing insights into talent recruitment and retention challenges faced by CEOs, Presidents, and Founders. Identifies trends in hybrid, onsite, and remote work models and return to office initiatives.
• CFO/Controller Sentiment Study Annual sentiment study identifying CFO/Controller Financial Performance Index (FPI) and Spending/Budget Index (SBI). Examines AI adoption priorities, hybrid work management, and financial planning strategies.
• AI Certifications for CEOs Two AI certification programs developed in partnership with Arizona State University: AI Prompting Certification (turning AI into daily productivity tool) and AI Automation Certification (building AI-powered workflows without coding). Delivered via 5-week online courses.
• CEO Newsletter Regular newsletter delivering latest insights, resources, and news directly to executive inboxes. Part of ongoing communication program for registered members.
• Resource Directory Vetted directory of service providers, products, and companies serving CEOs and C-Suite executives across categories including credit insurance, software consulting, cloud platforms, payments, legal services, marketing, accounting software, and ERP.
• Whitepapers/Ebooks Collection of educational resources including whitepapers on long-term incentives for privately held companies, director's handbook on cyber-risk oversight, CEO best practices guide, and board effectiveness surveys.
• Webinars/Events Virtual and on-demand webcast programming covering economic outlooks, AI adoption, ERP strategy, talent management, and industry-specific topics for C-Suite executives.

Quantifiable outcome

• CEO Financial Performance Index (FPI) of 145% — 66% of respondents predicted increased revenue in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Allianz TrademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerAllianz Trade (formerly Euler Hermes) is a sponsor of Chief Executives Council. As a Premiere Sponsor, Allianz Trade gains access to Chief Executives Council's C-Suite audience for brand building and lead generation. Allianz Trade provides trade credit insurance, surety, collections, and structured trade credit services to the business community.
• Citrin CoopermanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCitrin Cooperman is a Premiere Sponsor of Chief Executives Council and provider of software consulting and implementation services (NetSuite, Salesforce, Microsoft). They co-host webinars and provide content syndication through the Chief Executives Council platform to reach C-Suite decision-makers.
• Bill.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBill.com is a sponsor of Chief Executives Council and provider of intelligent business payments platforms including AP automation and accounts receivable solutions. They leverage the platform's C-Suite audience for lead generation.
• Legal Services LinkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal Services Link is a sponsor of Chief Executives Council and an online platform for researching and hiring attorneys. They participate as Resource Directory members to reach the C-Suite audience.
• Modern Marketing PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerModern Marketing Partners is a Premiere Sponsor and full-service digital and traditional marketing agency serving as the marketing partner for Chief Executives Council. They provide association marketing services and are credited as the association marketing provider for Chief Executives Council.
• VASTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVAST is a sponsor of Chief Executives Council and provider of cloud platforms and IT services. They participate as Resource Directory members to reach the C-Suite audience.
• Ziplines (CareerCatalyst, Arizona State University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief Executives Council has partnered with Ziplines and Arizona State University to offer two AI certifications designed for real business application: AI Prompting Certification (5-week online course turning AI into a daily productivity tool) and AI Automation Certification (5-week course on building AI-powered workflows without coding). Chief Executives Council refers its C-Suite members to these programs.
• ThoolieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThoolie is listed in the Chief Executives Council Resource Directory, providing CRM, document automation, and project management services to the C-Suite audience.
• AuditoriaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAuditoria is listed in the Resource Directory, providing artificial intelligence and robotic process automation (RPA) solutions to the C-Suite audience.
• BlackLineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlackLine is listed in the Resource Directory, providing accounting software, finance automation, and financial close management solutions to the C-Suite audience.
• CentageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCentage is listed in the Resource Directory, providing budgeting and forecasting solutions to the C-Suite audience.
• EmburseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmburse is listed in the Resource Directory, providing expense software and travel and expense management solutions to the C-Suite audience.
• LeaseAcceleratorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeaseAccelerator is listed in the Resource Directory, providing lease accounting solutions to the C-Suite audience.
• Sage IntacctminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSage Intacct is listed in the Resource Directory, providing ERP software solutions to the C-Suite audience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO is the largest global peer network of CEOs and presidents under 45 (later expanded), offering peer learning forums, events, and resources. It directly competes with Chief Executives Council for the C-Suite executive community and development market, but operates a paid membership model with formal chapters.
• Chief: Chief is a private membership network for C-Suite executives (with a focus on senior women leaders) offering peer groups, executive coaching, and leadership resources. It is a comparable premium C-Suite peer community with a positioned cohort-recruitment model.
• Vistage: Vistage is a CEO peer advisory and executive coaching organization with thousands of member CEOs across multiple countries. It competes directly with Chief Executives Council for C-Suite executives' attention and development budgets, with a paid advisory-group model.
• The CEO Forum: The CEO Forum runs peer advisory groups for CEOs and presidents, with structured roundtables and executive coaching. It directly competes with Chief Executives Council's peer-networking and leadership development value proposition.
• EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): EO is a global peer-to-peer network for founders and entrepreneurs generating $1M+ in annual revenue. It competes for the same Presidents and Founders audience that Chief Executives Council targets, with peer forums, learning events, and accelerator programs.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Business Review: HBR publishes executive-focused content, research, and benchmarking for senior leaders. It competes with Chief Executives Council's editorial, research, and thought leadership offerings for the C-Suite content audience.
• Ivy Exec: Ivy Exec is a broader executive career and networking platform serving senior professionals and executives with content, research, and career services. It overlaps with Chief Executives Council's C-Suite audience but is more career-focused than community-focused.
• Gartner: Gartner produces executive research, benchmarking, and advisory services for CIOs, CFOs, and CEOs. Its research practice competes with Chief Executives Council's proprietary sentiment indices and research benchmarks for C-Suite attention and sponsorship budgets.

Emerging players

• Newsweek CEO Awards: Newsweek CEO Awards is a recognition program for chief executives run by a major media brand. It competes with Chief Executives Council's CEO Pinnacle Awards program for executive recognition prestige and award-category visibility.
• CEO.com: CEO.com is a digital community and content platform built for chief executives; it curates tools, events, and content for the C-Suite. It is comparable in scale and positioning to Chief Executives Council as a smaller, content-led executive community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CEOCouncils
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5ukihG4aoQz0U3s0cpEZ6A
• Facebookfacebook.com/chiefexecutivescouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chief-executives-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chief Executives Council