by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
For executives running a business, regardless of its size or type, the need to innovate has been touted as the route to growth. For mid-market companies, there is more pressure than ever. Not only do they compete with larger corporations, but now there is a constant influx of startups and entrepreneurs pushing to do what they do, but better.
So does that mean companies need to develop a new product to be competitive?
Ron Totaro, chair of CEO Connection’s Innovation Committee and current interim CEO, advisor and board member for fintech and SaaS-enabled private equity portfolio companies, says that what mid-market companies need to remember is that “innovation” does not have to mean creating the next big thing.
“There is a misconception that innovation means creating new products,” says Totaro. “The reality is that innovation can manifest itself in many ways. Innovation could be improving customer experience: something as simple as switching from paper invoicing to electronic invoicing. Now clients get their invoices faster, they are easier to file, and perhaps they include more information, such as how their money is being spent. If you improve relationships and retention rates through new processes, you are innovating.”
Even making changes your customers can’t see can be the difference. Streamlining your back office and customer care, and leveraging technology through e-commerce capabilities can make your company stand out to your existing customers and give you the bandwidth to reach an even wider prospect base.
If new products are the place you want to innovate, Totaro says the market is ripe for that as well. But, “You don’t have to create everything within your four walls.”
“So much can be purchased or partnered with others to build,” he says. “License technologies, creating interesting partnerships with two-way value.”
As an example of those strategies, Totaro recommends CEO Connection’s Angel Investor Network for mid-market companies looking for an opportunity to invest in innovation. In partnership with incubators including Wharton/Penn Ventures and Invest In Canada, the Network leverages the combined resources of the mid-market. It provides mid-market companies with vetted, quality deal-flow opportunities for consideration throughout the year. The entrepreneurs and startups are sourced in part through alliance partners with some of the world’s top universities.
“I don’t know of any other entity that has a forum like the Angel Investor Network, created specifically for the mid-market,” says Totaro. “Having that kind of access is invaluable, regardless of industry. Startups that are trying to be disruptive in cloud deployment, customer service, digital marketing… you get to see creative ways that new problems are being solved.”
Members of the Angel Investor Network automatically gain access to CEOC’s Innovation Committee. The Innovation Committee meets once a quarter to collaborate, sharing insights and ideas across core innovation topics. Members are also invited to the Business Plan Showcase, held in conjunction with the annual Mid-Market Convention, where they can meet with vetted investors and review investment opportunities.
As staying ahead of the curve becomes an ever-present focus of corporate growth and profit, this access is even more valuable.
“Seeing companies that are are expressing new ways to go about business [through the Angel Investor Network] helps you think more broadly about how your business runs,” says Totaro. “Every company needs to continually reinvent itself, and those that don’t are going to fall behind.”
For more information on CEO Connection’s Angel Investor Network, email angelnetwork@ceoconnection.com
See Ron Totaro’s LinkedIn Profile
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
A Letter from CEO Connection CEO Kenneth Beck:
As CEO of CEO Connection, it is my pleasure to announce our Member-to-Member Discount Program that gives you and your employees access to significant discounts only available through CEOC.
Here are some of the special opportunities available:
- Discounts on globally celebrated espresso machines from De’Longhi (a CEOC Member).
- Special pricing on Executive Coaching from East Tenth Group (recommended by three of our members).
- Outplacement Services and Career Transitioning Coaching from GetFive (program designed with a friend of mine from Wharton).
There are also discounted fares with Delta Private Jets, and special rebates from Mastercard by WEX.
Continue to check back, as offers are added regularly based on suggestions from our members and offers from new vendors.
Email us if you are looking for a specific product, or if you are interested in applying to offer a discounted product or service to the CEOC community.
You do great things on your own. We can do even better things together.
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
| The Mid-Market 500 l 1000 is the annual list compiled and published by CEO Connection that ranks the largest US mid-market corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along with privately held companies for which revenues are publicly available.
The list also provides you with:
- Key financial and company contact information in an easy-to-use spreadsheet.
- The ability to download, sort, and mine the data.
- America’s largest mid-market companies to research, prospect and target.
Statistics include contact information for the CEO, CFO, CMO, COO CTO and CHRO, and total revenues, profits, and number of employees.
For a limited time, pre-order the 2018 Mid-Market 500 | 1000 List and receive a complimentary copy of the 2017 List. |
| Click Here to Pre-Order the List |
| CEO Connection corporate members receive the list for free. |
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
Join up to 11 other CEOs in confidential, interactive dialogues on the issues that matter most to you and your peers—other leaders of $100 million-plus companies. Functional experts lead roundtable discussions on:
- BRAVE leadership.
- People (including board people).
- Innovation.
- Communication with key stakeholders.
- Specific issues raised by attendees.
The event is not just about a program. It’s about spending the day with your peers, connecting with men and women at the same level who face similar challenges.The exclusive nature of the event and the forum for candid, off-the-record discussions serve as a foundation for the long-term relationships that make the CEO Boot Camp experience unique. You will leave with a group of business friends—people who are going through what you are experiencing, with whom you can test ideas, share concerns, and exchange advice. |
| Register for the NYC Boot Camp |
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| Click here to learn more about the CEO Boot Camps.If you cannot attend, here are other Boot Camp options this year: London Boot CampTuesday, July 10, 2018Location: Oxford and Cambridge Club, 71 Pall Mall, London, UKStart Time: 7:30AM |
| Register Now |
| Chicago Boot CampTuesday, August 7, 2018Location: University Club, 76 East Monroe St., Chicago, ILStart Time: 7:30AM |
| Register Now |
| New York Boot CampTuesday, October 23, 2018Location: Penn Club, 30 W. 44th Street, New York, NYStart Time: 7:30AM |
| Register Now |
| Amsterdam Boot CampTuesday, November 13, 2018Location: TBAStart Time: 7:30AM |
| Register Now |
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by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
| As CEO of CEOC it is my pleasure to announce our Performance and Culture Alignment Workshops powered by Carpedia.Predictable results are difficult to obtain. Alignment issues in performance management, leadership behaviors, and conflicting value systems conspire against predictability. Integrating the values of your business with leadership behavior and aligning leadership behavior with the performance system can isolate issues that cause unpredictable results.
At the CEOC Performance and Culture Alignment Workshops you will do a holistic review of your company and you will leave with a customized plan that:
- Unravels the complexities that cause misalignment, and
- Identifies measurable improvements that you can implement to improve your efficiency and profit margins.
Carpedia’s results-oriented methodology has been improving results at Fortune 500 companies like Heinz, Oldcastle, and DHL on five continents for nearly 25 years. Now it is available to Mid-Market companies through CEO Connection.
In 2018, there are three CEOC Performance and Cultural Alignment workshopdates and locations for your convenience:
New York City, May 21, 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Penn Club, 30 W. 44th St. |
| Register Here |
| San Francisco, CA
June 18, 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
| Register Here |
| Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nov. 12, 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
| Register Here |
| Join us to Improve your Company’s Culture, Performance and Predictability while engaging with a small group of CEOs and experts in an interactive, confidential, small-group setting! |
by | | 2017 Mid-Market 500, News
| Don’t miss this final opportunity to submit your nominations for the 2018 Top Private Equity Firms of the Mid-Market list. Nominations will be accepted until Wednesday, March 7th, 2018.
This annual list highlights firms that invest in mid-market companies with a vision of strategic partnership, bringing results-oriented expertise to the portfolio company and focusing on what is best for the next phase of growth. Private equity firms are evaluated on five metrics:
- Commitment to the Mid-Market
- Partnership Effectiveness
- Financial Performance
- Resources
- Social Impact
Self-nominations are welcome. Nominations will be considered from the community at large (including business experts, academic institutions, and government officials) and from CEO Connection members.
This is your chance to recognize a private equity firm that shows commitment to and effectiveness in the mid-market!Share the award nomination link with your colleagues, LinkedIn groups, alumni associations, and business and media contacts.
Nominate Now |
| View the 2017 Top Private Equity Firms for the Mid-Market list.
To learn more about the 2018 Mid-Market Convention, please visit here.
We know you do great things on your own; together we can do even better. |
