Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
I am Delighted to be Bringing REF to Los Angeles
REF is on the leading edge of innovating what's next with Peer Forum experiences for CEOs, Executives and their Teams. Formerly Renaissance Executive Forums, REF celebrates 30 years in 2024, now with 2,500 members in 19 countries. I have a global role with REF Corporate helping with our global growth plans nationally and internationally. I am also delighted to be bringing REF to Los Angeles.
Inaugural Meeting of REF CEO & CFOs/Financial Executives Peer Forums in Los Angeles, 12:30-5:30pm November 12th 2024.
We are simultaneously launching our first two forums ...
CEO Peer Forum and CFOs/Financial Executives Peer Forum ... as part of REF Los Angeles on Tuesday November 12th from 12:30-5:30pm ... more details forthcoming.
Speaker Topic: The ROI of Curiosity
Our expert insights speaker at our inaugural meeting is Mark Neilson with his topic of "The ROI of Curiosity". Mark is a career CFO and board member of public and private companies across a range of industries. Hear his story of how he became such an advocate of peer forums, first as a member and then as an investor and equity partner in REF San Diego, along the way discovering the hard cash return-on-investment of curiosity. Not least of all, he will introduce you to our REF ROI Toolbox to assure you achieve a measurable ROI on your membership investment of time and money, over and above the organic ROI our members speak so highly of.
Mark is also passionate about our peer forums specifically for CFOs/Financial Executives. He is a long time member of FEI: Financial Executives International and is FEI San Diego President-Elect for 2025, so he knows first hand the difference between a networking community and a true peer forum experience for CFOs/Financial Executives.
CEO Peer Forum
As a serial CEO myself, I will be co-facilitating our first CEO Forum in REF Los Angeles of top-tier CEOs of mid-market companies, across a diverse spectrum of businesses and industries. The more diversity the better. No competitors (or other conflicts of interest). Confidential. Based in Los Angeles, Jorge Sciupac will be co-facilitating with me. Jorge is a career corporate leader nationally and internationally and has been in the field of peer forums for 20 years. Originally from Argentina, he is a US citizen and has been in Southern California for 45 years.
CFOs/Financial Executives Peer Forum
As a career CFO himself, Brandon Stanford will be co-facilitating our first Financial Executives Peer Forum in REF Los Angeles of CFOs, VPS of Finance, Senior Controllers etc. Our inaugural speaker Mark Neilson and I launched the first peer forum specifically for Financial Executives over a decade ago. We have two forums for Financial Executives in REF San Diego (one of which Mark Neilson leads and Brandon Stanford is a member of and the other of which Brandon Stanford leads) with 30+ members and are about to launch our third. We are unique in offering peer forum experiences for Financial Executives, as an under served pillar of leadership development. Brandon Stanford is a career CFO/Financial Executive with Eastridge Workforce Solutions, Callaway Golf & Marriott International. He has been active in many Financial Organizations so he knows first hand the difference between a networking community and a true peer forum experience for CFOs/Financial Executives.
Why Do Members Join & Stay A Long Time?
Because it is an invaluable and irreplaceable place like no other. I've had members in my forums for 15 years, 12 years, 10 years, 8 years etc (many of the members in that photo here of just one of my forums). Not least of all because "it's lonely at the top" is not just a cliche, it is a reality. Scroll down to see some of my blogs below and in particular:
- 71% of US CEOs Experience Imposter Syndrome (Not for the Reasons You think)
- Being Alone Together ("It's lonely at the top" is not just a cliche, it is a reality)
Also scroll down to see member testimonial videos.
A small peer forum is your personal advisory board.
Small Peer Forums: Your Personal Advisory Board
- 12-15 Members, Monthly Meetings for Half a Day
- Confidential and No Competitors or Other Conflicts of Interest
- Holistic - Business, Professional, Personal, Life
- Case Issue-Processing methodology at the core of the group process, tapping into the collective intelligence power of peers.
- Expert Insights Speakers (see inaugural meeting speaker above)
Typically Unlike Anything Members Have Experienced Before
and in their own words members express how irreplaceably invaluable they are (scroll down below to hear from members)
A Vibrant & Growing Community, Celebrating 30 Years
Hear from some of our members attending our annual all-member-meeting in San Diego in May 2024. In our 30th year (2024), REF is growing locally, regionally, nationally, internationally and globally (typically between 10-20% per annum on aggregate globally), with an excellent Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 67 (2023) in an annual survey of our global membership over 3 years from 2021 to 2023 with a total of over 2000 responses (n = 2,096), respondents reported an NPS average trending from 56 (2021) to 62 (2022) to 67 (2023), aligning with the investments being made since new global ownership/leadership in 2020.
Hear How Much Members Love the Experience
Scroll down towards the bottom of this page to see more member videos and testimonials or click the button below.
Scaling Collective Intelligence Globally for the Benefit of Members Locally
I am very excited about how REF is leaning into scaling Collective Intelligence globally for the benefit of our members locally. REF is a fantastic community of members locally, regionally, nationally, internationally and globally. We just launched REF-UK for instance, where I am originally from. I am English originally and American now, having lived in Southern California for 25 years.
I have been in the Field of Peer Forums, Agility & Collective Intelligence for 20 Years
I first starting leading Peer Forums in 2003, initially in San Diego where I ran 3 Groups (1 CEO Group and 2 Key Executive Groups, one of which was specifically for CFOs and senior financial executives). When I moved to Temecula in 2013 fulfilling a dream of a wine country home, I started a 4th CEO Group locally which I ran for 5 years. Over my 15 years as a Peer Forum leader, I facilitated more than 500 Peer Forum Meetings and had more that 2000 one-to-one coaching sessions with CEOs. I was also a speaker to other Peer Forums and spoke to more than 400 Groups of CEOs and Executives around the country and around world, becoming acknowledged as the global community's thought leading expert on my specialty topic of Agility (Enterprise Agility, Business Agility, Organizational Agility, Team Agility & Leadership Agility).
An Itch I Wanted to Scratch
But I wasn't done running companies. I had an itch I wanted to scratch of running a company again as a real-time Agility case-study and capstone experience on my career . Something crossed my path in 2018 which my wife and I decided we should roll the dice with. So I transitioned all of my clients, boards and peer forums to colleagues and went off and did that for 3 years, commuting from Temecula to Orange County. Not least of all because of COVID, it turned into the real-time agility case study I was looking for X10! Nevertheless, it was a fantastic experience, which I pivoted back from in late 2021.
I went Looking for Who is on the Leading Edge of Innovating What's Next with Peer Forums?
Rather than just jumping back into what I had been doing previously, I went looking for who is on the leading edge of what's next with peer forums? I found REF, with a mission of being the leading Global Collective Intelligence Community of top-tier Business Leaders.
Collective Intelligence = Artificial Intelligence + Human Intelligence
I was introduced to REF from two directions simultaneously.
Firstly
Two of my former long time CEO peer forum members (Mark Neilson for 12 years and Susan Kuruvilla for 10 years) were so passionate about the power of peers that they acquired the San Diego operation of REF which we are now growing as a vibrant community. I joined them as an equity partner in January 2024 and we are now branching out into Los Angeles.
Secondly
One of my former Executive peer forum members (Leo Bottary for 6 years) has written the category defining books becoming acknowledged as the global thought leader. He is also works with REF. He and I also just published an eBook together, "The One Advantage: Introducing a Peer-Powered Culture of Agility to Your Organization".
I am Bringing REF Peer Forums Locally to LOS angeles
I am building Forums in Los Angeles for:
- Top Executives: CEOs, Presidents, Owners, General Managers of diverse businesses, organizations and enterprises.
- Key Executives: VPs, Directors, Managers of diverse functions, departments and responsibilities
- Financial Executives: CFOs, VPs of Finance, Treasurers, Controllers, Senior Accounting Managers (we see Financial Executives as a pillar of leadership under served with Peer Forum experiences and REF is dedicated to changing that, scaling out Financial Executive Forums nationally and internationally through a strategic alliance with ERA: Expense Reduction Analysts).
Join a Vibrant & Growing Community of Members in Southern California and Globally
- REF has more then 2,500 members in 19 countries and is growing globally. We just announced REF-UK, REF-Brazil and REF-Miami.
- REF has about 150 SOCAL members in San Diego, Riverside County and Orange County. We also just announced we will be building forums in REF-Temecula/Murrieta.
- REF Los Angeles is a great opportunity to join that vibrant and growing community tapping into the Collective Intelligence Power of Peers for Agility and Future-Proofing Your Business, Career and Life.
Press Release
“We are so fortunate to add Mike’s passion, experience, and drive to our team, which I experienced first-hand when I was in one of his CEO peer forums for more than a decade"
Mark Neilson, Partner, REF San Diego.
Read More:
Bringing Global Perspectives
I am very active globally with Keynote Speaking, Boards, Clients and REF (I have a global role with REF helping its global expansion), which I have been my whole career. I am English originally, American now, having been in the USA/Southern California for 25 years. Before that I ran the Aerospace Division of a British Public Company serving global OEMs (Boeing, Airbus etc), Airlines & Militaries, having been a serial CEO and executive of high technology hardware and software companies. Before that I did the 2 year full-time MBA at London Business School, before which I was a Petroleum Engineer for 5 Years on international staff with Shell based in Holland, starting my career working on offshore oil and gas drilling rigs.
Read Some of My Blogs About Peer Forums
Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Page or Visit the Peer Forums Category of my Blog or Click the Button Below or Click the Individual Links Below:
- What is Different about REF?
- A Time Machine (Overcoming the tyranny of "now is not a good time" and/or "I am too busy and don't have time")
- 71% of US CEOs Experience Imposter Syndrome (Not for the Reasons You think)
- Being Alone Together ("It's lonely at the top" is not just a cliche, it is a reality)
- 25 Reasons to Join a Peer Advisory Forum (Leo Bottary)
- 5 Fallacies About Joining Peer Advisory Groups (Leo Bottary)
- Finding the True North of My Why: The Work that I Can't Not Do!
- My Story in 3 Words (Plus and Minus 2 Words)
"Very Difficult to Articulate How Impactful"
"Very Difficult to Articulate How Impactful"
"Very Difficult to Articulate How Impactful"
"Honestly, it is VERY difficult for me to articulate how impactful Mike has been in my life and how much I admire him! He coached and influenced my leadership in profound ways over 10+ years. The combination of Mike’s guidance and being in his CEO peer group resulted in a life transforming liquidity event. (Jeff Zember, former CEO, Plidek)
"Game Changers"
"Very Difficult to Articulate How Impactful"
"Very Difficult to Articulate How Impactful"
"Having Mike Richardson as a coach and being in his CEO peer group were game changers for my business. As a founder and CEO, I have come to realize that I need to surround myself with people who can help me troubleshoot and see things differently.
(Lisa Druxman, founder & CEO,
FIT4MOM)
"Influence"
"Very Difficult to Articulate How Impactful"
"Top of a Distinguished List"
"Mike was my peer group chair for 11 years and he is without a doubt one of the 2-3 primary influencers of the trajectory and course of my career. I don't know anyone who has known Mike that doesn't share my same feelings about his influence.
(Mark Neilson, career CFO, Board Member, Entrepreneur, Connector and Giver)
"Top of a Distinguished List"
"Perseverance, Resilience & Agility"
"Top of a Distinguished List"
"Mike is at the top of a very distinguished list of the best mentors and coaches in business. He strikes the rare balance between the discipline of a framework, personal and professional compassion, and the nudges to look inward and outward to maximize executive and company talents and mission.
(Kirk Michie, Managing Partner, Candor Advisors)
"Positive Impact"
"Perseverance, Resilience & Agility"
"Perseverance, Resilience & Agility"
I can definitely say Mike is one of the most capable peer group chairs and coaches I have ever had. He has positively impacted my business decisions and helped me break down my problem analysis. I owe my current success to him as he was instrumental in pushing me to set up my own business 5 years ago.
(Matt Clark, Owner & CEO,
L.A. Produce Distributors)
"Perseverance, Resilience & Agility"
"Perseverance, Resilience & Agility"
"Perseverance, Resilience & Agility"
Everything pointed to us not making it, but with Mike's coaching and leadership with the group we became more resilient, more agile and we persevered through it. Today we are thriving and growing and we would not have been here without Mike's "care-frontational" conversations and his confident and empathetic approach to making us what we are today.
(Scot Dietz, CEO, 3 Blind Mice)
"Up There With the Best"
"Up There With the Best"
"Up There With the Best"
During my 30+ year career, I have had the opportunity to work with many smart and capable business leaders, Mike is clearly up there with the best. I first came to know him when he was the leader of my CEO peer group for 9 years. During that time, I had the opportunity to experience his unique skill of using elegant and replicable approaches to driving decisions involving many complex inputs and variables. Over time, he helped all of us to develop long and short-term strategic plans for our companies and personal lives. He always insisted we consider multiple scenarios with plans for each one. Mike became a good friend and advisor as I encountered the inevitable challenges in life and in business. I am sure that every person that he has worked with is better off because of him.
(Claude Hooton, CEO, NucleusHealth)
"Superpowers"
"Up There With the Best"
"Up There With the Best"
I was part of one of Mike's CEO peer groups for 7+ years and profited immensely from him. As a chair, he led a diverse group of CEOs in an effective environment of peer learning. His ability to provide enough structure for direction yet give each of us room to develop individually was key to success. He created an invaluable platform for "board-level" feedback and peer support which greatly contributed to the success of our company. Through the years and many 1on1's, we became friends which engendered deep trust in his judgement, come rain or shine. By observing Mike, I also took a key skill as a leader to the next level: Facilitation. He is one of the best I have ever seen in this discipline. I copied a lot from him (albeit not his British accent). The power of facilitation is enormous as a lot of what I do as a leader is achieved through facilitating groups towards a desired outcome. Another of Mike's superpowers is holding people accountable and on their toes by challenging and encouraging them. This helped me through some trying times which eventually led to an amazing outcome for our company in the sale to a strategic partner. Thank you, Mike!
(Andreas Schenck, CEO, RevCult)
"Special Opportunity"
"Up There With the Best"
"Special Opportunity"
For many years, I had the very special opportunity to be an active participant in one of Mike Richardson’s CEO peer groups in San Diego. What a gift! I had the advantage of Mike’s business acumen and experience while enjoying the additional input of the diverse business group that Mike assembled. Mike’s knowledge, insight and personal assistance were invaluable as I tackled the challenges as the President and CEO of a very active Junior Achievement organization. Thank you, Mike, for all you have done for me and our entire CEO peer group team!
(Joanne Pastula, CEO Emeritus, Junior Achievement of San Diego)
"Special Opportunity"
"Special Opportunity"
"Special Opportunity"
I was in Mike's CEO peer group for 4 years during a pivotal time in my career. Mike facilitated a group of executives and founders in a way that created an incredible learning environment. I was not surprised that the professional and business lessons that I was exposed to were significantly impactful to my role and company. However, I was shocked by the level of empathy, compassion and accountability via tough love Mike was able to foster among the group. Led by Mike's care and passion for each members best outcome, the level of trust and generosity were truly inspiring. I highly recommend Mike for both his expertise and his character.
(Terry Arbaugh, GM Americas, SEACOMP)
"Confidant & Friend"
"Special Opportunity"
"Confidant & Friend"
Mike was my CEO peer group chair for over 14 years and a major influence in the success of our business. Mike's continued support and help with difficult business and personal issues was extremely helpful. Never without helping us formulate a strategy that would help move the needle in a positive direction. To this day, Mike is a confidant and friend.
(Tom Campanaro, CEO, Total Gym)
"Fast Forward"
"Special Opportunity"
"Confidant & Friend"
I first met Mike when our software firm had but a few months before we would be forced to shutter the doors. Fast forward through recovery from DotComm Bubble and 9/11, the Global Financial Crisis and more, Mike was alongside us when we consummated our sale to a Fortune 500 company! During that time, Mike continued to ask about our “blind spots” of what were we not seeing in our professional AND personal lives, exposing both risks to avoid and opportunities to pursue, which ultimately drove our success. Mike is a teacher, coach, mentor, builder, challenger, innovator, facilitator, counselor, truth teller, advocate and as importantly … a friend.
(Eddie Hillard, former CEO, FDBS)