Charlotte Executive Summit
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 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
Tara Bayke
Economist, ITR EconomicsSetting Expectations for 2027 and Beyond
Navigating inflation, interest rate changes, labor challenges, and geopolitical uncertainty will be critical for leaders preparing for what's ahead in 2027. While many markets improved this year, others experienced only muted growth and are at risk of hard landings in 2027. In this presentation, ITR Economics will delve into the key macroeconomic drivers that will take hold next year or carry over from 2026.
With a long and proven track record of “seeing the future first,” ITR Economics will provide their latest forecasts as well as the top economic forces impacting your business and their implications for overall cost structure, workforce strategy, the risk of profitless prosperity, and the timing of resource allocation. You’ll gain a broad view of business cycle changes and sector-level drivers that will help you identify risks and opportunities, align your strategy, budgeting, and investments with forward-looking economic insight — ensuring your organization remains resilient in the ever-changing market landscape.
Rajeev Kapur
CEO, 1105 Media & AuthorLeading Digital Transformation: 6 Key Takeaways for AI Success
The AI revolution is here—but adoption doesn’t happen by inspiration; it happens by execution that starts with you as a leader. In this presentation, Rajeev Kapur, author of AI Made Simple and CEO of 1105 Media, shares the specific steps leaders must take to implement AI successfully, and what they should be worried about. This presentation, tailored to the CEO audience, will include the tools you should use to turn your AI adoption into measurable productivity gains.
James "Smuggie" Mitchell Jr.
Mayor Pro Tem and At-large Representative, Charlotte City CouncilCharlotte's Growth Plan: Investing in the Region's Next 30 Years
As Charlotte continues to grow, business leaders have a window to understand how the city's $25 billion transit and development plan will shape where growth happens and what it means for local companies. In this moderated conversation, Charlotte City Councilman James Mitchell will share insight into the plan's rollout, the workforce and talent shortages facing the trades, and how the region is positioning itself ahead of a projected economic slowdown later this decade. You'll gain a clearer picture of where Charlotte's momentum is heading and how to position your business to benefit from it.
Anne Petrik
VP of Research, Vistage Worldwide, Inc. | Summit EmceeAs emcee for this Summit, VP of Research Anne Petrik will share the latest data from the Vistage CEO Confidence Index, adding context about peer sentiment and CEO priorities to the program throughout the day.
A deep dive into the economic forecast facing your market.
Charlotte's $25 billion transit and development plan is set to reshape the region—here's what it means for your business.
See below for a full listing of expert-led breakouts.
Enjoy a buffet lunch connecting with your group, or find an industry-focused table to network with like-minded business leaders.
See below for a full listing of expert-led breakouts.
Discover the exact AI tools and tactics top CEOs are using right now to drive productivity and what pitfalls to avoid.
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
11:40 - 12:40 PM
The Dark Side of Private Equity: Missteps that Could Cost You Millions
Presenter: Brian Daley, Director of Strategic Partnerships | Founders Advisors
With more Private Equity (PE) firms targeting private companies, business owners must be equipped to navigate this complex world successfully. Using case studies, data-driven insights, and over two decades of M&A experience, we’ll discuss the PE investor ecosystem, how they exploit inexperienced business owners, and strategies to help you protect your equity.
You’ll learn:
- 7 reasons your business is not qualified for PE investment (and what to do)
- Essential questions to answer before engaging PE
- The truth about “Minority Investors” and “Founder Aligned” PE
- Why 90% of founders lose in PE negotiations
- Enterprise Value Coaching through Industry Driven Valuation Scorecards
Topic: Financials - Mergers & Acquisitions
11:40 - 12:40 PM
Predictable Marketing ROI: A Framework for Guaranteed Outcomes
Presenter: Lori Turner-Wilson, Founder & CEO | RedRover Marketing
Marketing shouldn’t be a black box. In this workshop, Lori shares her 12 Battles™ Framework—a proven system that reveals hidden gaps costing you growth and replaces gut instinct with data-backed decision-making. Learn how to uncover true customer drivers, conduct perfectly legal competitive surveillance, identify the touchpoints most responsible for a customer's decision to purchase, pressure-test strategies before spending, and build a pay-for-performance team. Attendees receive Lori’s international best-selling book.
Topic: Customer Engagement – Marketing
11:40 - 12:40 PM
The CEO’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Sales Culture
Presenter: David Mullins, Strategic Growth 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
11:40 - 12:40 PM
Why Good Strategies Die After the Offsite - and 3 Ways to Fix It
Presenter: Chris Cosper, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Executive Strategist | Rhythm Systems
Strong leadership teams often leave planning sessions energized - new marketing strategy, technology investment, growth initiative, plan to win the talent war. Then Monday hits and everyone’s back to fighting fires. As AI accelerates the rate of change and puts new ideas within reach for every competitor, the leaders who win will be the ones who move from strategy to execution with speed, precision, and sustainability. In this session, you'll discover:
- Top reasons why winning strategies fail
- Why AI alone can't solve this for you (but it must be part of the solution)
- Practical insights for closing the gap between whiteboard ideas and real-world results
Topic: Business Operations - Productivity & Execution
11:40 - 12:40 PM
CEO's Guide: Measurable ROI by Uncovering Talent in an AI-Driven World
Presenter: Culture Index Executives | 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
1:35- 2:35 PM
The Value Creation Formula: Build the Company Everyone Wants to Buy
Presenter: Jim Canfield, VP of Strategic Relationships | Class VI Partners
For most company owners the value of their business is the most significant asset they hold. In fact, recent research showed that for most business owners their ownership in the company represented 85-95% of their net worth. So, the question we face as owners is how we accomplish three objectives:
- Creating a growing and scalable business
- Increasing the value of the business
- Making the business easier and more fun to run and lead
Jim will present a formulaic approach to address these three objectives and will explore concepts and tools that when applied produce results.
Topic: Merger & Acquisition Advisory
1:35- 2:35 PM
50 AI Implementations Later: What Works, What Fails, What's a Waste
Presenter: Chris Daigle, Founder | ChiefAIOfficer.com
Most AI sessions sell you the future. This one shows you the receipts. Drawing on 50 real implementations, Chris Daigle breaks down what worked, what failed, and what wasted money, so you can find where your own hours and dollars are leaking right now. You'll leave able to name your highest-return opportunity and the one to fix first.
Topic: Business Operations – Technology
1:35- 2:35 PM
Outgrow: How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition
Presenter: Alex Goldfayn, Founder | Outgrow
Based on tens of millions of tracked behaviors across 400+ companies, Alex Goldfayn reveals a proven system for consistent revenue growth. This talk shows how to implement proactive outreach, expand wallet share with existing customers, and track simple behaviors that predict results. Learn how to shift from selling to helping, and apply practical tools including scripts, scorecards, and action plans to drive measurable, sustainable, and repeatable growth in your business.
Topic: Business Operations - Productivity & Execution
1:35- 2:35 PM
The Owner's Climb: Building Real Value & Reclaiming Your Freedom
Presenter: Clay Reale & Emi Kubota, Pinnacle Business Guides/Certified Exit Planning Advisors | Pinnacle/ Reale Business Advisors
Every business is a mountain. Most owners fall in love with the product, the service, the team, the customer and never step back to plan the summit. This can result in a business that is owner-dependent and is harder to leave. This session is a guided ascent, led by two exited operators, who've made the climb themselves - building value and freedom along the way.
You'll leave with:
- A self-assessment of where you stand
- A view of what's driving — or draining — your company's value
- Your highest-value next move
Topic: Business Operations - Productivity & Execution
1:35- 2:35 PM
Preparing for a Strategic Exit: Building Value and Planning Ahead
Presenter: Andrew Kittleson, SVP – Wealth Management Financial Advisor and Bill Nack Managing Director /Partner, Forbes Partners | UBS Financial Services Inc.
Whether you’re considering a future sale or simply looking to build a stronger, more valuable business, this panel from UBS Global Wealth Management brings together a business owner, a Financial Advisor, and an investment banker sharing practical perspectives on preparing for a successful transition. Together, they will discuss how thoughtful planning, business value, and the current M&A environment can influence the timing and outcome of a future transition.
Topic: Financials- Financial Management
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