Tri-State Executive Summit
Hosted in New York Tuesday, December 1, 2026 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. EST
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 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.
Ross Hartmann
CEO, Kiingo AIWhen Intelligence Gets Cheap: How CEOs Rebuild Their Companies
Most companies begin with AI licenses and employee training. Because competitors can quickly copy the resulting productivity gains, durable advantage depends on redesigning how the company operates around cheaper intelligence.
Ross Hartmann, CEO of Kiingo AI, explains how a lower cost of thinking changes the company. He covers the parts of your operating model built around scarce intelligence, why your company's own data becomes an asset competitors cannot buy, why AI adoption often stalls after training, and how digital labor can expand capacity without adding fixed headcount at the same rate. You will see what this looks like in practice and leave with a first move you can make this week.
Key takeaways
- How productivity gains spread across competitors and why proprietary data retains value
- What must be in place for AI to use your company's data and work across its systems
- The four roles that sustain adoption after initial training
- How to give AI real work and choose the first task
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.
Learn which parts of your company were built around expensive thinking and what to rebuild first.
See below for a full listing of expert-led breakouts.
See below for a full listing of expert-led breakouts.
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
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
All In on Sales Hiring: Bet Smart, Win Big, Build a Dream Team
Presenter: Steve Heroux, Founder | The System of Selling
Tired of hiring “rockstar” salespeople who flop fast? You’re not alone. The average bad sales hire costs $1.3 million in lost revenue, and traditional hiring methods only work 23% of the time. In this no-fluff session, you’ll learn how to spot bluffers before they get through the door. By combining sales analytics with the psychological tactics of elite poker players, you’ll walk away with a smart, predictive, and nearly bluff-proof hiring process.
- Attract and retain elite sales talent (not professional interviewers).
- Use the Sales DNA Test to decode the invisible traits of great salespeople.
- Triple your hiring accuracy and make confident, data-driven decisions.
Topic: Customer Engagement - Sales
11:40 - 12:40 PM
Financial Insights to Grow and Elevate Your Business Valuation
Presenter: Bob McDonnell, Business Development Director | Preferred CFO
Gain practical insight into how your business creates value. This session explores how mindset, team structure, and financial tools enable clearer decisions. Learn the difference between historical reporting and forward-looking planning, review essential financial tools every CEO should understand, and see how profitability, risk, and predictability influence valuation. You’ll leave with a framework to evaluate your financial foundation and identify next steps to strengthen it.
Topic: Financials - Financial Management
11:40 - 12:40 PM
Predictable Marketing ROI: A Framework for Guaranteed Outcomes
Presenter: Lori Turner-Wilson, CEO and 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. Attendees receive Lori’s international best-selling book.
Topic: Customer Engagement – Marketing
11:40 - 12:40 PM
AI on Your Terms: The Decisions Separating Today's Winners from Tomorrow's Laggards
Presenter: Rahul Parikh, Business Partner | RapidDev
AI isn't coming — it's already reshaping how businesses compete, operate, and serve customers. But you don't need a data science team, a CTO, or unlimited runway to be on the right side of that divide. This session is built for the real-world, non-technical CEO: with practical applications across operations, sales, and customer service; an honest look at the risks and what actually goes wrong; and a decision framework that tells you exactly when to buy, when to partner, and when to walk away — without betting your business on unproven technology.
Topic: Business Operations - Technology
11:40 - 12:40 PM
Outgrow: How to Expand Market Share and Outsell Your Competition
Presenter: Evan J. Blumenthal, Certified Outgrow Advisor | Outgrow
Based on tens of millions of tracked behaviors across 400+ companies, Evan J. Blumenthal 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
11:40 - 12:40 PM
Elections, Economics, and the Equity You Keep
Presenter: Jason D. Pride, CFA , Chief of Investment Strategy and Research and David K. Plotts, Director of Wealth Strategy and Family Wealth | Glenmede
A company's value, and how much of it an owner keeps, is set partly by conditions no owner controls and partly by choices made today and years in advance. This session looks at the post-election economic, market, and policy environment through an owner's lens: what it means for operating a business, for financing one, and for the planning that quietly shapes outcomes long before any transaction.
Topic: Personal Development - Asset & Estate Planning
1:35 - 2:35 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: Personal Development - Exit Planning
1:35 - 2:35 PM
Should Your Next Hire Be an AI Employee?
Presenter: Eve Mayer, Chief Executive Officer and Levi Sauerbrei, Nerd Butler | EveAndLevi.com
Before you post your next opening, discover what an AI employee could do and what needs a person. We'll answer these questions:
- What do you tell the client who asks how you use AI?
- Where is the margin on work you already sold?
- What could your org chart look like with your best people supported by AI employees?
- What's your AI to Soul Ratio™ and what is your AI Policy?
Topic: Business Operations – Technology
1:35 - 2:35 PM
Meetings Are Costing You More Than You Think
Presenter: Kris Snyder, Chief Revenue Officer | Ninety
Most leadership teams spend hours each week in meetings that feel necessary—but deliver far less value than they should. In this session, we’ll explore how to transform meetings from a routine obligation into a strategic advantage by improving focus with pre-set agendas, surfacing and solving the right issues, and creating clearer accountability.
Topic: Business Operations - Infrastructure
1:35 - 2:35 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
1:35 - 2:35 PM
Lead Your Market and Win More Customers in the Age of AI
Presenter: Bob Ruffalo, Founder & Chief Executive Officer | IMPACT
Learn how strong companies become the most known, trusted, and recommended brands in their market. Discover how market leaders use content, search, AI, YouTube, and social media to get found by more buyers, earn trust earlier, and influence decisions long before sales conversations begin. You’ll also see how the Endless Customers System™ helps businesses stand out online and consistently attract the right customers.
Topic: Customer Engagement – Marketing
1:35 - 2:35 PM
Got Tariffs? A CEO’s Game Plan for the New Rules of Trade
Presenter: Anthony De Filippis, Co-CEO | CargoTrans and Nunzio De Filippis, Co-CEO, Licensed Customs Broker | CargoTrans
The rules of trade have changed. Is your playbook keeping up? Nearly every business is one degree from a tariff, whether you import directly or advise those who do. CargoTrans co-CEOs Anthony and Nunzio De Filippis show where margin is leaking, where enforcement is tightening, and how to play offense. Importers leave with a list to review. CPAs, attorneys, and bankers leave with the questions to ask their clients.
Topic: Business Operations & Strategic Planning
Sponsors
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