San Francisco Executive Summit
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. PDT
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.
Cristene Burr
President and CEO, Junior Achievement of Northern CaliforniaBuilt for the Next Economy: Unlocking Gen Z and Future-Proofing Your Talent Pipeline
The workforce is undergoing a generational shift, and the leaders that understand Gen Z will be better equipped to unlock their next phase of growth. In this conversation, Cristene Burr, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Northern California, will challenge common misconceptions about early-career employees and share why they’re often misunderstood. Drawing from her work building experiential talent pipelines, she’ll explore the shift beyond traditional degrees, how context drives productivity, and how tech native talent can strengthen your AI and data capabilities. You’ll gain actionable takeaways on how to unlock the full potential of your workforce and better position your organization for what’s next.
Dr. Jeffrey Boone
Founder & Medical Director, Boone Heart InstituteA World Without Heart Attacks
Heart disease has been the world’s leading cause of death for the past century—and it’s only getting worse. Our health care system incentivizes the wrong things, allowing this epidemic to continue to spread. 70% of heart attack victims are considered ‘low-risk’ by traditional measures.
Jeffrey L. Boone, MD, offers a better approach. Using tools that are readily available, he will demonstrate how to find the disease, identify the root cause, and eliminate your risk, so you can become a success story instead of a statistic.
You'll learn the steps you can take now to improve your cardiovascular health and help prevent heart disease before symptoms arise.
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.
Learn how to uncover hidden heart disease risk that traditional screenings miss.
Learn why Gen Z might be your biggest competitive advantage.
See below for a full listing of expert-led breakouts.
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 with your community, connect with fellow peers, and raise a glass to the Vistage Member Excellence Award winners and finalists.
Breakout sessions
11:35 - 12:35 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
11:35 - 12:35 PM
Predictable Marketing ROI: A Framework for Guaranteed Outcomes
Presenter: Lori Turner-Wilson, CEO/Founder | 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.
Topic: Customer Engagement – Marketing
11:35-12:35 PM
The Growth Playbook: Scaling Smarter With Remote Teams + AI
Presenter: Pranav Dalal, CEO & Founder | Office Beacon
Discover how an AI plus human hybrid model is redefining workforce productivity. With 25 years of operational insight, Office Beacon shows how to remove workflow bottlenecks through targeted AI tools and high-performance remote teams. Learn how AI-assisted executive support, Prospectly’s AI-driven network expansion, and optimized hybrid workflows unlock immediate gains in efficiency and scale. This session gives leaders clear, actionable steps to integrate AI into daily operations in a way that empowers teams and accelerates scale.
Topic: Business Operations - Productivity & Execution
11:35 - 12:35 PM
The Leadership Edge AI Can't Replicate: Wisdom from Bhutan & Beyond
Presenter: Justin Milano, Founder & CEO, Abroad.io & Abroad Wisdom Academy
AI is commoditizing knowledge, strategy, and analysis. The leaders who thrive will lead from wisdom. Justin Milano and Abroad have spent a decade bringing top executives to Bhutan — the world's living wisdom laboratory — delivering a 91 NPS and 4.94/5 ratings from CEOs. He'll share a practical framework to navigate AI disruption, unlock innovation, and discover an ancient secret to true happiness.
Topic: Personal Development – Wellness
1:30 - 2:15 PM
What You Do Before the Exit Determines Everything
Presenter: David Oh, Vice President, Wealth Strategy | Mercer Advisors
Some of the most significant challenges C-suite leaders and founders face during a liquidity event begin long before the transaction. This session explores the key decisions that can influence taxes, control, and long-term financial outcomes. Led by David Oh, who advises founders and executives through complex transitions, attendees will gain practical insights on preparing for a liquidity event and positioning themselves for future opportunities.
Topic: Financials - Financial Management
1:30 - 2:15 PM
Revenue Problem? Learn a Process for Predictable and Scalable Growth
Presenter: Anastasia Toomey, Front Porch Consulting, Certified Outgrow Advisor® | Outgrow & Rob Toomey, Porch Swing Consulting, Certified Outgrow Advisor® | Outgrow
Want to expand market share and outsell your competition? Learn a simple approach to relationship-based selling that embeds discipline and accountability...plus 15-30% year-over-year predictable revenue growth. This is not sales training. This is sales doing.
Topic: Business Operations - Productivity & Execution
1:30 - 2:15 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
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