
Los Angeles Executive Summit
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 7:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. PDT
Beyond Limits
Additionally, we encourage you to connect with the Vistage West Network—a space where our community comes together to offer or seek support in times of need.
You’re not just a CEO. You’re a visionary, driven to grow faster, scale smarter and lead with purpose. To climb higher, you dig deeper and tap into collective wisdom.
The climb isn’t a solo journey. It thrives on the strength of a global network – from your Chair, to your group, to peak-performing peers. The Vistage Executive Summit is your launchpad: a moment to elevate your vision, expand your impact and explore new vistas.
Key Takeaways:
- Access Expertise & Build Relationships: Tap into diverse perspectives to solve challenges with innovative solutions, strengthen your network, and find motivation through shared experiences.
- Unlock Business Opportunities: Build meaningful connections that lead to new partnerships and strategic referrals for long-term growth.
- Gain Cutting-Edge Insights: Stay ahead of economic shifts, identify growth opportunities, and enhance business resilience with actionable advice.
- Sharpen Leadership Vision & Wellbeing: Gain strategies to make confident decisions, boost productivity, avoid burnout, and build emotional resilience to navigate stress and uncertainty.
This is more than an event; it’s a community where leaders inspire new perspectives and forge meaningful connections. Boundaries are not just challenged – they’re transcended. You shape the future of business and innovation. Let’s redefine what’s possible.
Why Attend
Watch Joe Robert's personal invitation.
Event Speakers
Lauren Saidel-Baker
Economist & Senior Consulting Speaker at ITR EconomicsChallenges and Opportunities in 2025–2026–2027
2025 and beyond will present opportunities and challenges to business leaders. Inflation and interest rates will return on the wings of government spending, a tightening labor market, global demand, and higher-cost production inputs from raw materials to electricity. Navigating the twin challenges of inflation and interest rates will require immediate action. We will discuss the timing and the actions to take to get your company ready for the next few years and the rest of the decade.
The economy, in general, is in recovery, but the rate of rise will vary by industry and even geographic region. The information we present on the various domestic and global landscapes will allow decision-makers to position their companies for maximum return through the coming years.
Joe Roberts
Author, HumanitarianFrom Skid Row to CEO: Building Mental Resilience One Step at a Time
In this powerful keynote, Joe shares his transformative journey through mental health challenges and personal setbacks, revealing how the combination of community support and individual resilience became the cornerstone of his extraordinary success. Through his compelling story of overcoming substance use and catastrophic failure, you will discover that everyone has the capacity to rebuild, grow, and thrive when given the right tools and support system.
You will leave with:
- A toolkit for building personal resilience and supporting others' mental health.
- Practical techniques for taking small, consistent actions that compound over time to create meaningful change in both personal growth and organizational culture.
- Leadership strategies that balance empathy and accountability, enabling teams to support struggling individuals while maintaining high-performance standards.
- Methods for reframing limiting beliefs and stigma around mental health, and embracing vulnerability as a pathway to strength.
- Actionable steps for building support networks and fostering community connections that enhance both personal resilience and collective well-being.
Anne Petrik
VP of Research at 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.
Gerald Thomas
Regional COO for the American Red Cross in Los AngelesGerald Thomas is the Regional COO for the American Red Cross in Los Angeles, with a history of leadership roles within the organization, including CEO for North Florida and Director of Strategic Planning for Service to the Armed Forces, his work has supported military members across the globe. Before joining the Red Cross, Gerald held several roles where service to others was a focal point. He has worked as a Military Legislative Assistant for a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Gerald also served as a Senior Advisor to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care & Transition Policy. Additionally, Gerald was the Managing Director of the Brownsville Partnership of Community Solutions. Located in Brooklyn, the Brownsville Partnership works to enhance the health, safety, and economy of the Brownsville neighborhood.
A retired Infantry Officer, Gerald served 21 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, with commendable tours as a Company Commander during OIF and OEF, Congressional Fellow, Liaison to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Deputy Director of the Marine Corps’ Congressional Liaison Office. He is a decorated combat veteran. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with “V”, Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement. He is married to Christina McWilson Thomas and they have 5 adult children and 6 grandchildren.
Breakfast buffet served
A deep dive into the economic forecast facing your market.
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
7:45 - 8:45 a.m.
How to Keep More of the Money You Make
Presenter: Kimberly Ellis, Strategic Partnerships | Fisher Retirement Solutions
How business owners can optimize their company retirement plan to significantly reduce their tax bill and also set employees up to retire comfortably.
Topic: Financials: Financial Management

7:45 - 8:45 a.m.
Transforming Your Business Through AI & Intelligent Automation
Presenter: Mark Shivers, Founder & CEO | Ignite IPA
Are you worried about hiring/retaining staff? Are you nervous about inflation or a potential recession/depression? Are you looking to grow your business but concerned about increased costs? Are you sick and tired of hearing about how great AI is, but never see the financial impact as a result? Leveraging intelligent process automation can help companies of all sizes support their corporate strategy and achieve high ROI by reducing expenses, avoiding costs, accelerating revenue, and creating more efficient business processes. In this session you’ll learn about intelligent process automation technologies, and how other companies have leveraged them to achieve higher margins.
Topic: Business Operations: Technology

7:45 - 8:45 a.m.
The New Talent Playbook: How Innovative Owners Ignite Growth & Profits
Presenter: Rob Levin, Co-Founder & Chairman | WorkBetterNow
Today’s workforce has changed dramatically, demanding a new approach to building high-performing teams. In this session, Rob Levin, co-founder of WorkBetterNow, shares practical strategies to help entrepreneurs attract, align, and retain top talent. You'll explore smarter sourcing tools for small and midsize businesses, solutions to the talent shortage, and ways to rethink team structure for efficiency and growth. Learn how fast-growing companies are adapting to improve performance and stay competitive. Walk away with a clear, actionable roadmap to help your business thrive in today’s dynamic talent landscape.
Topic: Leadership: Hiring Recruitment & Sourcing

7:45 - 8:45 a.m.
Top 10 Items CEOs Need To Know About Cybersecurity and IT
Presenter: Alan Sugano, President | ADS Consulting Group
Learn about the top 10 items that all CEOs need to know about Cybersecurity and Information Technology (IT). Is your company at risk, and you don’t know it? We’ll cover the list below and other essential IT topics:
1. Backup.
2. Cybersecurity and Risk Management.
3. Cloud Computing. You’ll leave with valuable IT strategies to keep your company safe and key points to ensure you properly leverage technology to gain a competitive advantage.
Topic: Business Operations: Technology

7:45 - 8:45 a.m.
Breaking Through the Growth Plateau: Boost Accountability & Impact
Presenter: Tim Weerasiri, Chief Financial Officer | Ninety
As businesses grow, they reach a point where old methods no longer serve their goals. If you’re finding that your meetings aren’t as productive, your team struggles with accountability, or key decisions don’t have supportive data, it’s time to address some fundamental issues. Explore how mastering three key areas—Structure, Data, and Meetings—can help you break through this growth plateau. Takeaways: Identifying Structure Inefficiencies: Unpack organizational changes needed to unlock greater efficiency and effectiveness. Using Data to Drive Success: Actionable steps to implement the right KPIs, and improve team accountability. Optimizing Meetings and Strategic Planning: Ensure teams execute on strategic goals aligned with the broader company vision.
Topic: Business Operations: Productivity & Execution

7:45 - 8:45 a.m.
The Top 10 Sales Drivers
Presenter: Enrico Parodi, Advisor; Mark Schulert, Advisor; John Wagener, Advisor | Sales Xceleration
Do any of these statements sound familiar to you?
- My sales have been declining.
- Too much of my annual revenue comes from a couple of clients.
- I can’t find the right salesperson.
In this breakout session we’ll deep dive into maximizing your organization’s potential through a service-focused mentality. Join us to learn the top 10 sales drivers your organization should concentrate on to move your business forward and gain knowledge on how to fix issues that frustrate many business leaders worldwide.
Topic: Customer Engagement: Sales & Marketing

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Building Recurring and Scalable Revenue
Presenter: Pranav Dalal, CEO & Founder | Office Beacon LLC
Learn how to achieve scalable, recurring revenue with Pranav Dalal, who grew Office Beacon from 5 to 5,500 employees while unlocking profitability for thousands of clients. Discover strategies to craft compelling messages, build powerful connections, and drive sustained business growth.
Topic: Customer Engagement: Sales & Marketing

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
B2B Marketing Revolution: Your Battle Plan for Guaranteed Outcomes
Presenter: Lori Turner-Wilson, CEO & Founder | RedRover Sales & Marketing Strategy
This intensive workshop unveils the proven, scientific 12 Battles™️ Framework for crafting powerful marketing strategies that deliver a surefire, predictable marketing ROI. Elevate your marketing team to perform at unprecedented levels giving them the conviction to stand behind their projections. Leave behind the trial-and-error approach that wastes precious resources; sculpt a fail-proof marketing machine capable of scaling.
- Uncover powerful customer insights that impact your ability to generate predictable outcomes.
- Dive into attribution modeling to make strategic decisions about your marketing investment.
- Level up your team and agency to stand behind their marketing projections – tying their compensation to marketing ROI projection.
Topic: Customer Engagement: Marketing

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Walk-Away Money: 6 Steps To Turn Your Business Into Financial Freedom
Presenter: Paul J. Brahim, CFP®, CEPA®, Managing Director, SVP - Financial Advisor | Wealth Enhancement Group
Less than 25% of businesses have a formal succession plan.
Over 75% of business owners regret selling their business within the first year.
Nearly 98% of owners don’t know their business’s value.
Facing the reality of eventually stepping away can be challenging, but successful business exits don’t happen by accident. They require careful planning, informed decision-making, and strategic timing. Paul Brahim’s "Walk-Away Money" session provides a six-step framework designed to help you optimize business value, align personal and business wealth, discover options, and transform your business into sustainable income for the rest of your life.
Topic: Financials: Financial Management

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
The Nine Steps To a Much Longer Life with Robust Health
Presenter: John Asher, CEO | Asher Longevity Institute
A happy, healthy, and highly motivated team will contribute directly to robust business growth. In this session, participants will learn: o An integration of all current information about health, wellness and longevity.
- The significant possibility of living to 112 with great health by following current guidelines from longevity experts integrated into a “longevity pyramid”.
- The average lifespan of US adults is 76 years, and the average health span is only 63 years. This presentation shows how to gain 23 years of lifespan and 37 years of health span.
- Taking care of your team today contributes to greater success tomorrow.
Topic: Personal Development: Wellness

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Maximizing Your Company’s Appeal to Acquirers and Financing Sources
Presenter: Jack Chang, Managing Director | DGP Capital
Business owners often receive inquiries regarding an acquisition, growth capital or some form of ownership transition. But what attributes make a business more attractive to acquirers and financing sources than others? In this session, participants will explore real-life case studies that cover:
- Various types of transactions, including M&A, recapitalizations and management buyouts
- Assessing your company’s attractiveness to potential buyers and financing sources
- Key factors that drive valuation and appetite in today’s M&A and financing markets
- Aligning strategy and management teams to create long-term value
Topic: Financials: Mergers & Acquisitions

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Strategic Planning Workshop: Value-Driven Growth in Half the Time
Presenter: Peter C. Fuller, CEO, Founder & former Vistage Chair | Catipult.AI
Many companies have faced disasters by driving growth without monitoring its impact on value. This workshop introduces a psychology-based strategic planning framework, co-created by Vistage member companies, that cuts management time in half while delivering sustainable, value-driven growth. You'll gain proven case studies, core metrics to track success, and a clear, repeatable framework for your next strategic planning meetings. Ultimately, this approach empowers you to grow your business while maintaining control and freedom. Walk away with actionable insights that align growth with long-term value, ensuring your company thrives on your terms.
Topic: Leadership: Strategic Planning
