Rhode Island CEO Council
An Exclusive Consortium of CEOs Increasing Economic Success & Quality of Life
Exclusively for the top executive of organizations with a workforce of 5 to 50,000 or more full-time employees
Learn more about CEO Wisdom Exchanges & Meeting Agendas
DEC 11, 2025 US Online CEO Wisdom Exchange - 4:00pm-5:30pm
Leading the Unleadable—How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, & Difficult People
Alan Willett, Co-Owner, Exceptional Difference and author of Leading the Unleadable
This online/Zoom CEO Wisdom Exchange will include three 30 minutes segments
4:00pm – FireSide Chat with Alan Willett
4:30pm – Breakout Roundtable Discussions
5:00pm – Q&A with Alan Willett
Zoom Event
JAN 20, 2026 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange - 7:30am-9:30am
The impact non-profits have on the RI economy & RI businesses,
and what CEOs can do about it
Cortney Nicolato, CEO of United Way Rhode Island
Crowne Plaza - Warwick, RI
FEB 10, 2026 US Online CEO Wisdom Exchange - 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Topic: To Be Announced
Zoom
MAR 17, 2026 RI Annual State CEO Summit - 7:30am-10:00am
Leading a Rhode Island based Business in 2026
Strategic Challenges and New Opportunities
Crowne Plaza - Warwick, RI
APR 14, 2026 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange - 7:30am-9:30am
Topic: To Be Announced
Crowne Plaza - Warwick, RI
MAY 19, 2026 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange - 7:30am-9:30am
Topic: To Be Announced
Crowne Plaza - Warwick, RI
JUN 16, 2026 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange - 7:30am-9:30am
Topic: To Be Announced
Crowne Plaza - Warwick, RI
Invitation Required – Qualified Chief Executives Only – No Substitutes
— Registration —
Non-Members Pay a Registration Fee | Members Do Not
NOV 13, 2025 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Employee Retention, Loyalty, & Engagement
Brian Popiel, Financial Expert, SPF Wealth
How CEOs are increasing retention by empowering their employees to make informed financial decisions that help them achieve financial wellness
OCT 9, 2025 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
What CEOs Need to Know about the Local & National Economy
Leonard Lardaro, Professor of Economics at URI & Publisher of
the Current Conditions Index (CCI) for Rhode Island
Learn what is currently changing and what major changes may be ahead
SEP 11, 2025 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Rising Employee Health Care Costs—What You Can Do
Josh Rydberg Senior Vice President at Brown & Brown
AUG 21, 2025 RI Accel Advisory Board Experience
Get Answers to a Strategic Challenge
Join a small group of peers and engage in a DeepDive to find solutions to the strategic challenge another chief executive or you are currently facing
AUG 9, 2025 RI Member Only Social
Exclusive—CEO Council Members Only (significant others welcome)
Catered reception, beverages, boat rides, & private conversations
WaterFire Circle Venue opens at 6:30pm
WaterFire Lighting at Sunset 7:54pm till midnight
JUN 12, 2025 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Growing Through Mergers & Acquisitions
Rick Grundy, CEO, AVTECH
Bruce Messier, CEO, Butler & Messier Inc.
Brad Shear, CEO, Potter League for Animals
Mike Sweeney, Co-Chair, Stevens & Lee New England
A panel of CEOs with merger and/or acquisition experience
discuss what worked, unexpected challenges, and what they
wish they had known before the merger or acquisition
MAY 15, 2025 RI Accel Advisory Board Experience
Get Answers to a Strategic Challenge
Join a small group of peers to help find solutions to the strategic challenge another chief executive is currently facing
MAY 8, 2025 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Generative AI in Small & Medium Businesses
Rick Norberg, CEO of Vertikal6
What CEOs need To know about using AI to increase productivity & gain competitive advantage.
APR 10, 2025 Online CEO Wisdom Exchange
Current and potential future economic environment in RI and what RI CEOs can do to help their organizations grow and prosper
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Tanner Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce
How the State of Rhode Island working to create the conditions for businesses in all sectors to thrive and how businesses can best access state services and support.
MAR 13, 2025 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Business Resilience
Donna Childs, CEO Prisere
Strategies that Minimize the Impact of Business Disruptions
JAN 9, 2025 RI 2025 Rhode Island CEO Summit
Preparing for Economic Changes & Challenges in 2025
Bruce Van Saun, CEO, Citizens Financial Group
DEC 5, 2024 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Creating a Winning Culture & Clam Chowder
Todd Blount, CEO, Blount Fine Foods
OCT 10, 2024 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Different Generations in the Workplace—Recruiting, Engaging, & Retaining
Nishita Roy-Pope, CEO of Tribe Academy
Includes a Q&A Session with a panel from different generations:
- Paris Cooke-Brown - Student, Brown University
- Spencer Berryman - Early Career, Citizens Bank
- Tamara Tardy - Mid-Career, UiPath
- Victoria Armstrong - Senior Leader, Loftware
SEP 21, 2024 RI Member Social
Exclusive—Members Only, with significant others welcome
Catered reception, beverages, boat rides, & peer conversations
AUG 22, 2024 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Generative AI
Todd Knapp, CEO of Envision Technology Advisors
Jim Rowan, Head of Deloitte’s Strategy and Analytics Practice
What CEOs of small, medium, & large businesses need to know about AI and its impact on business success
AUG 3, 2024 RI Member Social
Exclusive—Members Only, with significant others welcome
Catered reception, beverages, boat rides, & CEO to CEO networking
JUN 20, 2024 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
What RI CEOs Need to Know about Crime that May Effect Their Business
Steve O'Donnell, retired Head of the Rhode Island State Police & FBI task force
MAY 9, 2024 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
How CEOs make their companies indispensable—with
products and services that customers can't live without
James Kerr, CEO of Indispensable Consulting
MAR 28, 2024 RI 2024 CEO Summit
Prepare to Win
Rear Admiral Peter A. Garvin, President, U.S. Navel War College
Kevin M. Graney, President; General Dynamics Electric Boat
MAR 12, 2024 RI Accel Advisory Board Briefing
Get Answers to a Strategic Challenge
Join a small group of peers to help find solutions to the strategic challenge another chief executive is currently facing
MAR 5, 2024 RI Accel Advisory Board Briefing
Get Answers to a Strategic Challenge
Join a small group of peers to help find solutions to the strategic challenge another chief executive is currently facing
JAN 25, 2024 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
What all CEOs Need to Know about Business AI—Artificial Intelligence
Todd Knapp, CEO of Envision Technology Advisors
DEC 7, 2023 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
How to Best Prepare for the Economic Changes Coming in 2024
Jason Draho, Head of Asset Allocation Americas, UBS Global Wealth Management
NOV 11, 2023 RI CEO Fall Social
Venue: The Rhode Island Yacht Club
OCT 5, 2023 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Building a Foundation for a Better Rhode Island
Marc Parlange, President of the University of Rhode Island
AUG 24, 2023 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Managing Workforce Risk in Unpredictable Times - learn more
Robin Jones, Deloitte Principal, Workforce Transformation
Eric Cormier, Insperity Manager, HR Services
JUL 22, 2023 RI CEO Summer Social
Venue: WaterFire Brazier Society VIP area
JUN 8, 2023 RI CEO Briefing
What Successful Businesses Do Differently in Rhode Island
Cheryl Merchant, CEO of Taco Comfort Systems
APR 27, 2023 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
The State of Business In Rhode Island
Daniel McKee, Governor of Rhode Island
MAR 23, 2023 RI 2023 Rhode Island CEO Summit
Thriving in Unpredictable Times
Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America
Tom Burnham, Head Coach of American Magic Team—America's Cup 2024
Tom Burnham will talk about High-Impact Decision Making
Brian Moynihan will engage in a candid conversation with Steve Zubiago
FEB 18, 2023 RI CEO Winter Social
Venue: The Preserve Sporting Club & Residences
JAN 12, 2023 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Business Strategies that will Maximize Success in 2023
Helena Foulkes, former President of CVS Pharmacy & CEO of Hudson's Bay
OCT 10, 2022 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Maximizing Rhode Island Workforce Development
Matthew Weldon, Director, R.I. Dept. of Labor & Training
Shannon Gilkey, Rhode Island Postsecondary Commissioner
Angelica Infante-Green, Commissioner, R.I. Secondary Education
SEP 09, 2022 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Getting to the Right Strategy for Your Biggest Leadership Challenge
AUG 13, 2022 RI Member Social at WaterFire
Venue: WaterFire - Brazier Society VIP Venue
JUN 9, 2022 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
What CEOs need to know about Cybersecurity & Breaches
Kiran Mantha, Principal, Deloitte Advisory, Cyber Risk Services
Todd Knapp, CEO of Envision Technology Advisors,
Jason Kravitz, Head of Nixon Peabody's data privacy & cybersecurity practice.
See the CEO Briefing documents & videos
MAY 5, 2022 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Finding and Retaining the Right Talent in 2022
Mike Zani, CEO of The Predictive Index & author of The Science of Dream Teams
MAR 25, 2022 RI CEO Wisdom Exchange
Gaining Strategic Advantage in this Rapidly Changing World
Dan McKee Governor of Rhode Island
Alicia Rose, Deputy CEO of Deloitte
Ross Gittell, President of Bryant University & Distinguished Economist.
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