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Forum For CEOs Provides Support, Feedback

José Antonio Torres - The Executive Forum
Founder and Partner

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Jan Hogewoning By Jan Hogewoning | Journalist and Industry Analyst - Thu, 05/28/2020 - 15:50

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Q: What added value does The Executive Forum bring to its members and to Mexico’s business sector?

A: The Executive Forum is a network of CEOs that was launched 20 years ago in California with the purpose of providing executives with a venue to bounce business initiatives off other people. When you are an executive director there are many decisions that fall on you but for which you cannot consult with a board. Through this platform, directors have a group of peers to lean on, without conflict of interest, in a confidential environment that generates a great deal of value in terms of the decision-making process. Being able to have more points of view and perspectives always leads to better decisions.

We have more than 1,200 CEOs in our network across Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Santa Cruz, Bogota, Medellin, Caracas, Panama, Dominican Republic, San Jose, Costa Rica, Mexico City, Queretaro and Monterrey. Our headquarters is in the US and we also have presence in Canada and in Madrid.

In each city, there are groups of 10-15 CEOs who come from different industries, who do not compete with each other and who do not have a conflict of interest when discussing their main business dilemmas with others. Each member signs a confidentiality agreement that states everything discussed in the forum stays in the forum.

Q: How does The Executive Forum function in terms of meetings and processes?

A: We meet once a month and at each meeting, three things happen. First, a speaker talks about a current issue that generates value, be it strategy, innovation or digital marketing, among many others. The second is that someone presents a business case. Once a month, one of the members presents a previously managed challenge for CEOs to solve. They can ask questions and then give recommendations. That leads to different scenarios that were not visible before.

The third stage is a more personalized process, where each of our members shares how they have been doing personally and professionally. CEOs who normally support many industries around the world find in The Executive Form a support space where they can share their mood. As a result, very close communities are created.

Q: How has The Executive Forum evolved in Mexico?

A: We started in 2014 and have five forums. In 2020, we are going to launch four more. Today, more than ever, we see the need for CEOs to consult on their decisions because times of crisis are when other perspectives are needed. A CEO’s decision can save the company a great deal of money and create opportunities. In the midst of the crisis unleashed by COVID-19, the opportunity to have a forum like this is more valuable than ever.

CEOs can become members of The Executive Forums in two ways: through someone's recommendation or through an application on the platform, which is carefully curated according to professional expertise. Evaluation is not only about the size of the company the person belongs to but also about the person’s ethical and moral qualities that can add value to the network. Each new member is onboarded by a personally assigned mentor and offered proven content on topics ranging from personal branding to LinkedIn optimization and career planning.

 

The Executive Forum is a platform that supports CEOs and other executives with peer-to-peer guidance and training. The platform has been operating for over 20 years.

Photo by:   The Executive Forum

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