The Alliance community is all about our amazing members. Alliance members lead companies in virtually every industry and market sector ranging from early-stage private companies to global public companies. And, to be expected, their personal backgrounds are as diverse and wide-ranging as their companies. We’ve never been able to figure out how to describe the Alliance to someone who hasn’t experienced it. Therefore, we invited a few of our members to describe their "Alliance Experience" using their own words.
Gini Deshpande describes the Alliance of Chief Executives as a sounding board of peers that provides candid and strategic input to issues faced by CEOs. Gini is the Founder & CEO of NuMedii, which discovers and de-risks effective new drugs by translating Life Sciences Big Data into therapies with a higher probability of therapeutic success.
Watch VideoAshok Santhanam, long-time member since 2006, talks about his experience with the Alliance of Chief Executives. Ashok is the former President & CEO of Bristlecone. He is now the CoFounder and CEO of FogLogic, an early stage startup working to change the game of application operations from today's heavy reliance on manual intervention, slow and lengthy troubleshooting and ad-hoc incident response. FogLogic's SaaS solution enables all enterprise applications – on public or hybrid clouds or on-premise – to run on autopilot and collaboration, driving significant productivity improvements alongside vastly improved service levels and far fewer IT-related business disruptions.
Watch VideoPaul Lipman discusses the perspectives he gains through the Alliance of Chief Executives - not only the perspectives he gains on his own business, but the perspectives he receives when thinking through and helping to provide insights on other CEO's issues and challenges. Paul Lipman is the CEO of BullGuard, one of the fastest growing internet and mobile security brands in the market today. Their product portfolio includes award-winning antivirus, a premium 24/7 protection suite, and web-based identity and social media protection that works across all devices. He is the former CEO of iSheriff.
Watch VideoPaul Levitan feels the Alliance is a supportive group of CEOs who assist with his immediate and long-term issues. He describes the Alliance culture as collaborative and connective. Paul is the Former President of Galaxy Desserts, which creates exceptional French-inspired desserts. Galaxy Desserts has been touted by Oprah Winfrey and her list of Favorite Things, and was named by the San Francisco Business Times as 2009 Most Admired CEOs in the Small Business category.
Watch VideoDave Summa, Alliance member since 2007, talks about his long-time involvement and experience with the Alliance of Chief Executives. Dave is the Managing Director of Business Model Innovations, the premier firm for business model innovation serving disruptive companies globally. He is the former Managing Director of Technology Pathfinders.
Watch VideoLars Barfod didn't expect the large networking opportunities available to him through the Alliance. He was pleasantly surprised by the connections he's made, including a company purchase he made from another Alliance member. Lars is the CEO of Vapore, the maker of MyPurMist. Vapore significantly enhances the quality of life and well being of individuals by redefining humidification.
Watch VideoChristopher Burnley often asks his Alliance group members how they got past a business challenge. The candid information he receives saves him time and is one of the largest benefits of his Alliance participation. Christopher is the Founder & CEO of Corefact, whose patent-pending marketing systems help generate leads, build relationships and promote properties using the most innovative tools available in the industry. Corefact was named to the Bay Area's list of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies for 2014 by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.
Rick Sutherland recounts his first Alliance of Chief Executives meeting in 1999, and discusses the benefits of his long-time involvement. Rick is the Founder & CEO of ClickAway, a Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer and a consumer electronics company. ClickAway was named to INC 5000's list of the fastest-growing private companies in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Watch VideoTed Elliott, Alliance member since 2012, describes the Alliance as a place for affirmation - the affirmation of both good and bad decisions. Ted is the CEO of Copado, a leading native DevOps platform for Salesforce. He is the former CEO of Jobscience.
Watch VideoBryan O'Connell believes the Alliance has given him the confidence to develop a skillset to manage his business at a higher, growth level. He views his time with the Alliance as an efficient investment that enhances his business and career as a CEO. Bryan is the CEO of Meras Water Solutions, a leading provider of agriculture, Industrial, food safety and Legionella water solutions.
For Scott Benner, the time invested in the Alliance is rejuvenating. Scott appreciates the opportunity to think about other industries, outside of his own financial world. Scott is the Managing Partner of Nelson Capital Management, a registered investment firm headquartered in Palo Alto, California with satellite offices in Corte Madera (CA), Boise (ID) and Minneapolis (MN).
Watch VideoSblend Sblendorio describes the Alliance as a community of business leaders who utilize each others skills, weaknesses and strengths to better their own management skill sets. Sblend is the Managing Partner of Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, a mid-sized, multi-service law firm headquartered in Silicon Valley that has been in existence for 60 years.
Watch VideoPaul White feels it is very important to have a group like the Alliance to share your thoughts, ideas and problems with. This allows you to get positive feedback and affirmation about the direction you plan to take, and gives you new ideas that you may not have considered. Paul is the Founder & CEO of Muir Services, which invests in and partners with stable, profitable companies in growing industries with the potential for business and economic expansion.
Watch VideoMelinda Garcia appreciates the diversity of opinions and the different industries that Alliance members belong to. These bring a tremendous amount of value to Melinda through her participation - something she calls "priceless." Melinda is the CEO of Garcia & Gurney, a Business Law Corporation that serves the San Francisco Bay Area.
Watch VideoKevin Lalor says the Alliance has been beneficial not only from the advice, counsel and wisdom he's received from his peers, but also from the business connections he's earned. Kevin is the Founder & CEO of Business Intelligence 101, which helps companies move to the cloud from their legacy systems.
Watch VideoIan McLean joined the Alliance because it was very well organized, with driven and professional peers, and a well constructed methodology. Ian is the President of Thermal Press International, which provides heat staking and heat sealing process development and optimization services.
Watch VideoThe Alliance of Chief Executives is an active community of business leaders that focuses on deep strategic exchanges, challenging existing assumptions and generating fresh ideas.
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