NEW ORLEANS – In 2014 EO Louisiana partnered with Louisiana Economic Development (LED) to launch CEO Roundtables as a way to help second-stage businesses grow jobs and revenue. This year, the program will now expand to Ruston and Lafayette joining New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport as roundtable cities throughout the state.
CEO Roundtables convene 15 to 18 qualified, key decision-makers from Louisiana-based small businesses. They meet 10 times over the course of a year for peer-to-peer learning, business networking and support. The collaborative, growth-oriented meetings support a trusting environment in which CEOs can safely explore business and personal issues.
Participants from companies in a range of industries come together in each session to discuss a designated topic determined by the desire and interests of the group. Past topics include human resources, marketing, strategic planning, employment law, operational efficiency, organizational structure, capital access, delegation and cyber security. Past CEO Roundtable participants have represented sectors including biomedical, construction, consulting services, engineering, manufacturing, software development and many other sectors, with the group able to address issues common to their vastly different businesses.
Here is what a few past participants had to say about their experience with the CEO Roundtables:
• “You can never quit learning in business. The CEO Roundtable has provided me the opportunity to step away from the day to day activities of running a business, so I could focus a half day each month on thinking strategically and applying new skills and ideas to growing the business. Over the year I have worked with my staff to rewrite our Mission Statement, to better communicate our Vision for the future, and to establish a marketing planning meeting that actively evaluates growth opportunities and puts the right resources against them. Finally, the Roundtable has proven to be a great confidence builder which has motivated me and my staff to develop a strategy to grow the business by nearly ten times from where it is today!”
Tom Martin, EVP/COO of POD Pack International, LTD
• "The pressures of running a business are too great to go it alone. This is the best Advisory Board you will ever have. The CEO Roundtable has given me an opportunity to learn from my peers and provided me with a diversity of perspectives and experiences. Our discussions never failed to create a powerful basis for identifying and evaluating alternatives to solving any particular business management problem. I found the mix of companies in the Roundtable to be especially valuable because I received a broader and often different perspective on business issues. My experience in CEO Roundtable was unparalleled and immeasurable; the comradery, priceless."
Sheila Craft, Owner of FileLink
LED has partnered with EO to facilitate both the Baton Rouge and New Orleans roundtables, which are already underway with commencements in both cities occurring last week. For the third year in a row, Mark Lewis, Business Coach and Consultant with Simmons & White, will be moderating both the Baton Rouge and New Orleans Round tables.
"I have been duly impressed with how the state has focused on assisting small businesses with the acceleration of their growth through this program," Lewis said. "I am equally proud to be able to assist these companies with their development and ongoing success. It's a terrific LED program."
EO’s class of businesses from the Capital and Southeast Regions include:
Capital Region
5 Stones Media
Crump Wilson Architects
Facilities Maintenance Management
Global Data Systems
Itinspired
Lemonade Creative Marketing
MedComp Sciences
OneSource EHS
Post Trauma Institute of LA
QDS Systems
Quality Engineering & Surveying
Reputation Capital Media Services
SecureNation
Solscapes
Three Sixty Eight
Tin Roof Brewing Company
West Industries
Westport Linen Services
Southeast Region
A&E Enterprise Management
AlliedPRA New Orleans
ComTec Information System
Crystal Clear Imaging
Eagle Consulting
Engineering & Inspection Services
Gambel Communications
Gulf South Engineering & Testing
H.J.M. Machine Shop
Integrated Logistical Support (ILSI)
K-Belle Consultants
Landrieu Concrete and Cement Industries
MMO Behavioral Health Systems
Omega Concierge Services
Perez, A Professional Corporation
Search Influence
Technology Associates
The Ehrhardt Group
Trigon Associates
Roundtable participants typically operate high-growth companies with annual revenue of $600,000 to $50 million, employing from five to 99 employees. Each roundtable consists of 10 half-day sessions, moderated by a facilitator, over the course of a year. The discussion groups are structured to provide CEOs with timely advice to problems they are experiencing. The roundtable setting allows peer executives to share their company experiences openly so participants may learn from both their achievements and their mistakes. The meetings are akin to having your own personal Board of Advisors.
The 2016-17 roundtables are already at capacity, and applications for the 2017-18 roundtables will be accepted beginning next February through the end of March. Due to limited capacity and high demand, eligibility does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Receive email notification of when the online application goes live here
