South Central PA Executive Summit
Hosted in Lancaster Tuesday, March 17, 2026 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT
Event Overview
Every Decision, Obstacle, and Success Has Shaped the Leader You Are Today
The Vistage Executive Summit is your day to build on that experience through expert insights, meaningful peer connection, and practical tools that drive growth.
My biggest takeaway from the Vistage Executive Summit is the importance of aligning long-term planning with both business goals and personal well-being. Success isn’t just about short-term wins—it’s about building something sustainable over time. When both areas are nurtured, they reinforce each other, leading to more consistent progress and a better quality of life.
— Davinder Harcharan Singh, Vistage member and 2025 Executive Summit attendee
Event Speakers
Connor Lokar
Senior Forecaster and Economist, ITR EconomicsOutlook for 2026 and Early 2027
ITR Economics’ outlook for 2026 and early 2027 offers critical insights for business leaders preparing for the next phase of the economic cycle. While early 2026 is expected to bring a mild rising trend, ITR’s leading indicators suggest that momentum may fade for some industries as the year progresses and into 2027. Understanding these shifts will be essential for strategic planning and decision-making. We will examine expected changes in GDP and Industrial Production growth, helping leaders anticipate market turns, manage risk, and understand industry-specific impacts. With clear guidance on how to navigate the coming landscape, you will be better equipped to make informed decisions and stay ahead of industry peers throughout the next stage of the business cycle.
Erin Diehl
Founder of improve it! Top 1% Podcast Host & Amazon Best-Selling AuthorThe Empathetic Leader: Leading Yourself and Others
Your people are your greatest asset — and your energy sets the tone. In this interactive, one-hour keynote, Erin Diehl helps leaders strengthen their positive relational energy so they can increase engagement, reduce burnout, and create environments where teams feel seen, supported, and motivated to perform at their highest level. Through movement, play, and experiential learning, participants will build deeper self-awareness, identify how their thoughts and language impact workplace dynamics, and replace limiting patterns with more empowering ones. This session is designed for organizations ready to move from a culture of stress and scarcity to one rooted in empathy, presence, and abundance.
Your leaders will leave feeling more grounded, more connected, and equipped with practical tools they can use immediately to elevate their impact.
Participants will:
- Recognize how their thoughts, tone, and energy influence team culture and communication.
- Practice shifting from scarcity thinking to an abundance mindset using doable, repeatable tools.
- Create a personalized i.D.i.e.h.l. Day plan to lead with more clarity, empathy, and intention.
Anne Petrik
VP of Research, Vistage Worldwide, Inc. | Summit EmceeInflection Point: Growth at the Speed of Now
To navigate through inflection points in the business cycle, Vistage Research reveals that CEOs must focus on growth, talent, infrastructure and technology. Learn insights and sentiment from your peers as well as expert perspectives from trusted Vistage community experts in this presentation featuring the latest Vistage CEO Confidence Index data.
A deep dive into the economic forecast facing your market.
- Winning the Exit in an AI Era: UBS Insights for CEOs
- The CEO’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Sales Culture
- Reaching New Heights: Unlocking Six Financial Functions for Growth
- CEO's Guide: Measurable ROI by Uncovering Talent in an AI-Driven World
- How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition
- Demand Revenue from Your IT...and Actually Get It!
- Sale-Ready Operations: Building Value Through Finance
The Empathetic Leader: Leading Yourself and Others
Celebrate your community's Vistage Member Excellence Award winners and finalists and connect with fellow peers. Refreshments to be served in the Marketplace.
Breakout sessions
11:35 - 12:35 PM
Winning the Exit in an AI Era: UBS Insights for CEOs
Presenter: Tim Uehling, Senior Vice President | UBS
Whether an exit is around the corner or years away, AI is reshaping diligence and valuation. Hear perspectives from UBS and your peers on implementing AI, protecting enterprise value, and positioning for a sale.
Topic: Financials - Financial Management
11:35 - 12:35 PM
The CEO’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Sales Culture
Presenter: Frank Niekamp, Partner | SalesStar
Most sales teams don’t struggle because of effort—they struggle because of unclear plans, inconsistent processes, and gaps in leadership and talent. In this session, CEOs will learn the three essential drivers of a high-performance sales organization: clarity, leadership, and putting the right people in the right roles. Attendees will leave with practical insights they can immediately apply to create more predictable, consistent revenue growth.
Topic: Customer Engagement - Sales
11:35 - 12:35 PM
Reaching New Heights: Unlocking Six Financial Functions for Growth
Presenter: Nelson Tepfer, Founder & CEO | ProCFO Partners
Your company started with an idea, and as it’s grown you face different challenges. Do you have the insights and people needed to make informed decisions to grow strategically? In this session, we discuss the six financial functions your company needs in order to continue your ascent.
You will learn:
- The six essential financial functions that every business needs to grow.
- The difference between financial functions and financial responsibility.
- What your business might be missing in terms of the financial skill set and framework required to grow.
Topic: Financials - Financial Management
11:35 - 12:35 PM
CEO's Guide: Measurable ROI by Uncovering Talent in an AI-Driven World
Presenter: Beka Shea, Executive Advisor | Culture Index
In today’s AI-driven landscape, algorithms can screen resumes in seconds but can’t assess critical thinking, adaptability, or leadership—the traits that drive growth. While most organizations use AI in hiring, true advantage comes from looking beyond automation. This presentation provides CEOs with a strategic framework to maximize talent ROI by identifying the human capabilities that determine whether a business scales or stalls.
Topic: Leadership - Hiring Recruitment & Sourcing
1:30 - 2:30 PM
How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition
Presenter: Brian Blatchley, President of Blatchley Consulting | EOS
Most leadership teams want organic growth but lack a clear, repeatable way to produce it. This session introduces Outgrow, a simple and disciplined approach to generating predictable revenue from existing customers and relationships.
Takeaways:
- Turn everyday client conversations into growth opportunities
- Identify leading indicators that forecast future revenue
- Build a repeatable rhythm for sustained organic growth
Topic: Business Operations - Productivity & Execution
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Demand Revenue from Your IT...and Actually Get It!
Presenter: Chris Brescia, Founder | FreshTech IT
Do you feel like your technology is falling behind? Is your continuous improvement 'not so continuous'? If so, take action now! You don't need high-tech - you need strategic tech. This workshop covers:
- Moving from tactical to strategic IT.
- The "Simplify. Secure. Scale." Framework - removing complexity and risk to drive revenue.
- The ideal organizational structure for technology advancement.
Learn how to demand more from your technology.
Topic: Business Operations - Technology
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Sale-Ready Operations: Building Value Through Finance
Presenter: Gretchen Naso, President | RKL Virtual Management Solutions and Ryan Hurst, Partner and Leader | RKL LLP
Discover how building robust financial infrastructure maximizes your company’s value and performance. Learn why treating your business as “sale-ready” creates streamlined operations, quality information flow, and strategic decision-making. Explore how timely financials, automation, and AI-enabled processes reduce transaction risk, accelerate potential exits, and decrease costs. Move beyond compliance to leverage your financial function as a strategic advantage that drives better business performance every day.
Topic: Financials - Financial Management
Sponsors
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