chapter business – summit executive resources · serves top executives in the technology...

• Recommended Books/Member FeedbackA selection of the industry’stop business and informative publications

• Membership OverviewA Proven Way to Obtain The Best in Class

• Speakers

• Calendar

• Los Angeles Kings Training Camp

• New Member Growth

• Referrals

• BFI Members and GuestsMeet LA Kings

CHICAGO II CHAPTEREXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERNicholas DelgadoDignitas, LLCPrincipal – Chief Wealth OfficerMember Since: January 2010Nicholas Delgado is a co-founder of Dignitas, LLC, a multifamily office offering a diverse array of life management and high-end concierge services. He is responsible for all aspects of client investment and wealth management programs and services. Delgado is a former executive and wealth manager at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and Certified Financial Planner™. More...

SCOTTSDALE CHAPTEREXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERBrian MollPolsinelli Shughart PCAttorneyMember Since: February 2009Brian Moll is a shareholder in the Phoenix, Arizona office of Polsinelli Shughart PC, a national law firm with 16 nationwide offices over 500 attorneys. He represents private and public companies in connection with general corporate and business law, and mergers and acquisitions. Moll has represented companies in a wide range of industries and has experience representing start-ups with respect to capital raising, private equity firms with acquisitions and divestitures, and private investors in private placement financings. More...

Ardell Fleeson – CB Richard Ellis

Real Estate Brokerage

Whether it’s working in the hospitality industry or in commercial real estate, Ardell Fleeson knows how to pack a pipeline. For 13 years, the self-described extrovert sold memberships to The Tower Club, an exclusive private club based in Tysons Corner, Virginia, that is a member of the global ClubCorp family. She built a huge industry network during her time there and was dubbed by the The Washington Post as “the business matchmaker with the golden Rolodex”. More...

Melissa Henderson – Summit Executive Resources

Founding Principal – Chief Executive Officer

Sports agents serve star athletes, literary agents best-selling authors and Hollywood agents top-grossing actors. Melissa Henderson is pioneering a new kind of talent agent – one that serves top executives in the technology industry. She is the founding principal of Washington, D.C.-based firm Summit Executive Resources. Unlike the traditional search industry, they represent the executive much like a personal agent. More...

Matthew Covington – Kibel Green Inc.

Mananging Director – Financial Restructuring

Since September 2009, Matt Covington has led Kibel Green’s Capital Group. With a quarter century of experience in the distressed environment, the Santa Monica, California-based firm works with companies in transition that require clear thinking and rapid action. Its expertise covers a wide variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, distribution, services, energy, food, real estate and technology. More...

C H A P T E R B U S I N E S S

M E M B E R N E T W O R K I N G

ExclusiveReferralPipelinep8 Member

Workshopp16

InThe Communityp15Michael Peloquin, Publisher

Subscription – $975 /12 IssuesCall for Enterprise Pricing

1930 Century Park WestLos Angeles, California 90067(310) 789-5702 • (800) 718-5634Contact [email protected]

© 2010 Business Forums International LLC.All rights reserved. Any reproductionof this newsletter without the written authorization of the publisher is a violation of U.S. law (17 USC et seq.) and can result in significant fines or penalties.The publisher intends strict enforcement of its copyright protection and privileges.

Volume 5, Issue 9 September 2010

www.businessforumsinternational.com

Can you believe it’s September?

We have several new initiatives and products being implemented this month. The intent is to keep you in touch with fellow members between meetings.

Our new suite of products will allow our members to interact with fellow members locally, by vertical market, industry or national connections. Each chapter will have their own confidential password-protected Web page. What is unique about this new platform is that it is interactive. You will use your PDA (BlackBerry, iPhone or Droid) to ask questions, upload new contacts, and communicate your needs to members. The platform will record your request and post it on the chapter’s confidential page, e-mail the participants your need and alert others to potential opportunities.

To prepare you for all of the new programs, we will be hosting webinars and various other tools so that you can leverage the technology and new workflow products.

Our alliance program continues to expand. Many of you have asked us to expand the NHL relationship to other cities, and we have already begun discussions with the NHL. The next series of cities targeted will be Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago and Boston. We will report our progress soon.

As you know, we continue to add capacity to the network. In October, we will be opening our newest chapter in Pasadena, California. We look forward to this new addition.

It’s going to be a busy month and we look forward to your advice, guidance and comments.

Until next month,

2 www.businessforumsinternational.com

Michael Peloquin Tracy Albert

The following members are a valuable resource not only for their industry knowledge, but also for their understanding of networking. They have all embraced the concept that being a member of Business Forums International is more like a marathon than a sprint.

Sebastian FerrandoBernstein Global Wealth ManagementSan FranciscoJoined February 2010(415) [email protected]

Hillary GadsbyA Gadsby AffairWest Los AngelesJoined February 2010(310) [email protected]

Roger GillottGillott Communications LLCLos AngelesJoined December [email protected]

Eric HeerCapital Guardian Trust CompanyOrange CountyJoined March 2009(213) [email protected]

Jim McCloskeyTax and Financial GroupOrange CountyJoined March 2010(949) [email protected]

Kathy McManusPricewaterhouseCoopers LLPOrange CountyJoined November 2009(949) [email protected]

Ari NadelmanLionfish AdvisorsCentury CityJoined September 2006(310) [email protected]

Steve PaulinSullivan Curtis MonroeNewportJoined September 2009(949) [email protected]

Allan SipossFMV Capital MarketsNewportMarch 2010(949) 759-4499 [email protected]

from the

Tracy AlbertFounder Business Forums International

Managing Director Houlihan Lokey

Michael PeloquinChief Executive OfficerBusiness Forums International

Off

icers

I N R E C O G N I T I O N


mailto:[email protected]



http://www.businessforumsinternational.com







“Our ideal client is C-Suite executives in the technology industry who have a

strategic impact on their business and are seeking a personal advocate who will

capture their ideal C-level position. The second area is with leading technology

companies, venture capital and private equity firms seeking a more efficient and

effective way to mitigate risk associated with human capital due diligence with

their acquisition or investment scenarios.”

continued on page 4

Sports agents serve star athletes, literary agents best-selling authors and Hollywood agents top-grossing actors. Now, Melissa Henderson is pioneering a new kind of talent agent – one that serves top executives in the technology industry.

“We are developing a new industry in retained executive advancement,” says Henderson, founding principal of Washington, D.C.-based firm Summit Executive Resources. “We believe there is a better way to match C-level executives with career opportunities in the technology industry. Unlike the traditional search industry, we represent the executive much like a personal agent.”

Summit Executive Resources, founded a year ago, is the brain-child of Henderson's 23 years of experience in the technology business. Henderson spent the first 13 years of her career working with highly regarded technology companies like Xerox and Gartner. In the past 10 years, she focused on retained search serving the technology industry, as Executive Director at Reynolds Associates and then as a partner at mid-cap search firm Gilbert Tweed International, where she opened, built and ran the firm’s Washington D.C. office.

“Because we understand the executives, the leading companies and the funding sources in the technology industry so well, we are able to derive that perfect fit,” Henderson says of Summit. “With our process, we shorten the hiring cycle and increase the chances of a successful experience both for the executive and the company.”

In addition, Henderson and her team at Summit help leading technology companies and funding sources mitigate the risks associated with their investments and acquisition scenarios through solutions in human capital due diligence.

“We have a world-class assessment tool that supports that our human capital capabilities and helps to ensure that our clients are investing in the right

places,” Henderson says. “Really ensuring – just as they would in a technical or financial due diligence – that they have all the right pieces in place.”

Summit works with leading companies and funding sources in all areas of the broad technology industry, including software services, voice, data, telecom and professional services.

“In this economy, it’s increasingly difficult for C-level executives to find a more proactive approach to their own career advancement,” says Henderson. “They are challenged with finding the hidden, more meaningful career opportunities or the ability to personally open those doors and, if they are able to get in at all, rising to the top of what becomes a candidate pool. And that is if there is an active opening for a C-level position.”

Summit, on the other hand, creates opportunities based solely on the expertise and talent of an executive.

“C-level executives are finding out more and more that retained and do-it-yourself search is broken and they’re concerned with finding the fastest, most satisfying way of getting to the top,” Henderson says.

In fact, Henderson doesn’t really consider retained search firms to be direct competition in the mainstream because the approach is very different. Unlike retained search, Summit represents the executive, not the hiring company. The close attention to the executive ensures a perfect fit for both the executive and the company.

“The search firms can be considered a competitive element of what we do because of the mindset of the industry. The mindset is, ‘well, if I need to go outside for talent, I will either do it myself, I will work my own network or perhaps I will go out to retain search.’ But we are not really going after the same market as they are. It is just so different in what we see.”

3

Melissa HendersonSummit Executive Resources

Professional Category:Founding Principal –Chief Executive Officer

Member Since:January 2010

“

“In this

economy, it’s

increasingly

difficult

for C-level

executives to

find a more

proactive

approach

to their

own career

advancement.

NetworkingOpportunities



continued from page 3

Case in point, search firms even provide Summit with referrals of individual executives who want the proactive approach that Summit provides.

“Some of the search firms have great executives that they just do not have a fit for. They do not have an active search. Here are these terrific executives who want to put themselves in play, but they have been stifled by the situation in the world today,” Henderson says. “We have been referred executives through search firms that have not been able to address what that executive has been looking for. It has been a really neat spin on things.”

There are two types of executives in particular that the talent agents at Summit seek to represent. The first is the game-changing C-level executive.

“These are executives that are engaged in new roles today,” Henderson says. “They are employed, engaged, they know that it is time for the next ideal role and they typically do not have the time or resources to execute it themselves. They also may be concerned about confidentiality. They need someone who knows how to work very delicately around their situation.”

Then there are the unemployed, but employable, C-level executives.

“If you think of cases particularly in this market of restructurings, acquisitions and mergers, there are terrific executives out there that have found themselves in a situation that they did not expect, but truly have the track record, the skill set and the competencies that can lead them to the next great role,” Henderson says. “So they are ideal as well for us because we can tell the story for them and carry them forward.”

The executives are just half of the overall equation.

Leading technology companies and funding sources also have a great connection with Summit. Not only do they get the kind of high-quality executive talent they want, but it costs them nothing.

“The challenge is getting them to realize there is no hook,” Henderson says. “It really is that simple.”

Another big plus for leading technology companies and funding sources is Summit’s depth of experience in retained search in the technology

industry. After more than 10 years, Henderson and her team are tapped into a highly select group of top-notch executives that can make an immediate impact on a business.

The result is a completely different talent acquisition experience.

“We can get that executive advanced far faster and more efficiently than anyone else,” Henderson says. “We provide that high-touch, high-quality experience.”

For Henderson, a good referral can be broken down into one of three buckets.

“A good referral is an executive who is a viable candidate for a C-suite position in the technology industry. These executives will have a strategic impact on their businesses and they will be ready to take a very proactive approach and personally invest in their own advancement.”

Summit also cultivates referrals to technology companies and funding sources that are interested in acquiring executive talent. These companies and funding sources typically have not heard what Summit does, are very likely to hire in the future and value mitigating human risk with acquisition or investment scenarios.

The third bucket of referrals that Henderson mentions are the “extension of referral sources”, such as employment attorneys, merger and acquisition attorneys, personal wealth managers and certified executive coaches.

This trusted referral network is also just one way that Summit and Henderson can be of service to BFI members.

“As I think about other BFI members, we can provide introductions to the C-suite of leading technology companies where we have relationships and funding sources focused on the technology industry,” Henderson says. “We can also be an outlet for great executive talent, in cases where BFI members are trying to give direction to other executives.”

If you want to contact Melissa Henderson about Summit Executive Resources, call (571) 384-7917 or e-mail her at [email protected].

“

“

There are terrific executives out there that have found

themselves in a situation that they did not expect.

OP

PO

RT

UN

ITIE

Snetworking




continued on page 6

“Great referrals are clients who negotiate complex real estate leases in the

Northern Virginia area, including Tysons Corner, Rosslyn-Ballston, Reston and

Herndon.”

Whether it’s working in the hospitality industry or in commercial real estate, Ardell Fleeson knows how to pack a pipeline.

For 13 years, the self-described extrovert sold memberships to The Tower Club to individual business executives. An exclusive private club based in Tysons Corner, Virginia, The Tower Club is a member of the global ClubCorp family. Fleeson built a huge industry network during her time there and was dubbed by no less than the The Washington Post as “the business matchmaker with the golden Rolodex”; Virginia Business magazine called her “the queen of schmooze”.

Now in her third year with Los Angeles-based commercial real estate powerhouse CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), Fleeson is again using that talent to offset her relative newness to the industry.

“I’m making up for lost time by packing one heck of a pipeline,” Fleeson says. “Commercial real estate is fascinating because it is the exquisite balance between networking, meeting new people and execution.”

In other words, brokers that spend all of their time on execution have empty pipelines and brokers that just pack their pipelines don’t make money.

“Everybody is always trying to achieve the perfect balance,” Fleeson says, “but my networking joke is that I’ll walk up to a stranger at a party and say ‘Hi, my name is Ardell Fleeson, when does your lease expire?’”

Fleeson focuses specifically on helping her clients negotiate complex real estate leases in the Northern Virginia area, including Tysons Corner, Rosslyn-Ballston, Reston and Herndon. She and her partner, Joe O’Brien, typically work with national and regional companies that have a significant presence in the northern Virginia marketplace.

“The subset of that are people who are in cross-border markets, who are looking to either expand a presence here or set up shop here,” Fleeson says.

“We would do work with beachheads if we knew there were larger transactions coming in the next year or so. We specialize in defense and aerospace, information technology and the federal contracting umbrella.”

For clients that fit that mold, CBRE provides a global network and service delivery platform that complements Fleeson’s and O’Brien’s broad knowledge of the local Northern Virginia market.

“Say somebody’s got a deal in London and we’re actively cultivating aerospace and defense business cross-border, transatlantically,” Fleeson says. “I can probably get them to the exact right personality in London. The same is true in Singapore and Hong Kong, Maryland, D.C. or New York.”

CBRE also delivers unparalleled market research to the client to improve decisionmaking.

“Our market knowledge is just exquisite, deep, wide,” Fleeson says. “We just have a real knowledge for our clients of what’s going on around them, a real strength in negotiating position because we have such deep market information.”

Not only does CBRE have great comps, they provide a strategic outlook as well.

“We understand what our clients’ challenges are because we focus on federal contractors, we know what’s happening on the Hill, what’s being legislated into existence or out of existence,” Fleeson says. “Real estate is the second biggest expense item on the balance sheet for most companies. It’s certainly right up there with human resources, human capital, payroll and insurance. We can cut a good deal for you, we can bring sort of a global market intelligence to bear for you.”

And in the coming years, CBRE’s expertise also will be especially useful for CFOs.

“For example, on January 1st of 2013, FASB will likely put a rule in place that will affect the accounting treatment of every organization’s office or industrial lease – and we’re 98% sure it’s going to

Ardell FleesonCB Richard Ellis

Professional Category:Real Estate Brokerage

Member Since:December 2009

5

“

“We understand

what our

clients’

challenges are

because we

focus on federal

contractors, we

know what’s

happening on

the Hill.




happen. The change will require that a company will have to account for its real estate lease on its balance sheet as opposed to its operating statement,” Fleeson says. “This change may also require a company to reveal its intention to exercise its renewal options, well in advance of a required renewal date; information you may not want the landlord to know.”

The ability to provide such insights to clients is part of creating that sought-after CBRE experience, a key ingredient in helping to sustain business at a time when many companies in northern Virginia have struggled. Fleeson’s and O’Brien’s focus on government also has helped.

“The great undergirding steel safety net for us in Washington is three things: Uncle Sam, Uncle Sam and Uncle Sam,” Fleeson says. “We focus on federal contractors and there’s always an expansion. Government grows every year. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. But it grows every year and that’s our ticket to success in this market.”

What’s more, clients lately have appeared more willing to extend their leases.

“Two years ago people were looking at three-year deals, asking if the landlord will give them a one-year deal. Everybody was just very skittish and very scared of what’s going to happen,” Fleeson says. “But just yesterday, we interviewed a potential new client willing to do nothing less than a 10-year lease.”

It could be a sign of a slow turnaround in the industry.

“It is definitely a tenant’s market,” Fleeson says. “Now is the time for corporate space users – tenants – to use the market to their advantage. I wouldn’t wait another year and a half, I wouldn’t wait another 12 months, I’d go ahead and identify alternatives now in order to lock up a long-term renewal lease. We call it ‘Blend and Extend’. Because there’s a strong sense out there that the tenant’s market won’t last forever. The economy and market will turn around.”

In fact, right now, many tenants choosing to stay in place are getting a better deal from their

existing landlord, renewing for five or 10 more years.

“We just helped a client with a seven-year, nine-month renewal that included nine months of free rent,” Fleeson says.

For those clients that do want to move, Fleeson says there is a whole psychological process that she guides them through when selecting a space.

“We give our client a sense for who the neighbors are in the office building,” Fleeson says. “Our client has to get a sense for how their customer would look at a building and perceive their company. If they’re government contractors, they can’t be too fancy. If they’re too fancy, customers’ reactions might be, ‘Where’s my money going? Are they properly spending the taxpayers’ dollars?’ If they’re not fancy at all, their reaction might be, ‘Are these guys in trouble?’”

With an innate ability to understand her clients’ wants and needs, the ability to tap the global power of CBRE and a deep network at her command, Fleeson makes an appealing partner for any Business Forums member.

“Don’t be shy. Pick up the phone and call. Say, ‘Do you have any interaction with client x, client y, client z?’” Fleeson says. “We just met with somebody today, in fact, whose real estate needs are not great, but they’re in the business intelligence world and are growing like crazy with healthcare as a specialization. I knew somebody that they could do some joint bidding with and introduced them on a conference call and gave them their phone number, two points of intersection. So give me a call and let me help.”

If you want to contact Ardell Fleeson about CB Richard Ellis, call(703) 905-0393 or e-mail her at [email protected].

“

“Now is the time for corporate space users – tenants –

to use the market to their advantage.


OP

PO

RT

UN

ITIE

Snetworking




7

Matthew Covington Kibel Green Inc.

Professional Category:Mananging Director – Financial Restructuring


continued on page 10

With a quarter century of experience in the distressed environment, Santa Monica, California-based Kibel Green works with companies in transition that require clear thinking and rapid action. While Kibel Green’s focus is on West Coast companies, its expertise covers a wide variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, distribution, services, energy, food, real estate and technology.

Since September of last year, Matt Covington has led Kibel Green’s Capital Group. He joined after seven years with the well-known Los Angeles-based restructuring firm Chanin Capital Partners, following several years as an investment banker in the Mergers and Acquisitions group at Credit Suisse First Boston in New York City.

Today, the main focus of Covington’s efforts is on creatively sourcing capital for small to mid-market companies.

“Large-cap companies have been buoyed by the capital markets over the last year,” says Covington, “but small to mid-market companies still find themselves capital-starved in many cases.”

There may be any number of reasons these companies might approach Kibel Green, Covington says, but generally a distressed company exhibits one of the following four characteristics: inability to refinance its debt as a maturity approaches, inability to meet ongoing debt service payments, a troubled relationship with a lender, or stymied growth opportunities due to lack of access to capital.

Whatever the reason, Kibel Green is prepared to tackle the situation with its diverse arsenal: the services provided by its turnaround and operations groups can assist in the capital-sourcing function by identifying and implementing improvements to a company’s business plan.

“It’s pretty rare to have all of these three competencies under one roof,” Covington says.

“What really distinguishes our firm is that we are able to understand businesses and business plans from an operational, in addition to a purely financial, perspective and we can thoroughly vet those plans.”

Such capabilities provide credibility with potential investors and potential lenders, Covington says.

“When we stand behind a business plan, our capital sources trust it. This enables us to add value beyond merely marketing a company, which is what most investment bankers rely on. We actually are able to improve the intrinsic value of the companies that we are working with and, therefore, increase the chances of finding solutions quickly.”

And speed is the key for troubled companies enduring deteriorating lender relationships.

“Clients are very concerned about what their lenders are going to do next,” says Covington. “Are they going to continue tightening terms? Are they going to refinance when our maturity comes up in the next year? Are they going call a covenant default in the next quarter or two?”

There is plenty in today’s market to warrant such concern in today’s market, Covington says.

“There are a lot of situations where companies have had long-term, 20-years-plus banking relationships that in the last year or so have either been terminated or dramatically curtailed. But it is not just the lenders trying to be difficult; they are under a lot of pressure from all sides as well.”

Yet while the lack of financing continues to frustrate small to mid-market companies in 2010, the default rate on high-yield bonds (issued by larger companies) has plunged, and the number of

“

“

When we

stand behind a

business plan,

our capital

sources trust

it. This enables

us to add value

beyond merely

marketing a

company.

“We are eager to meet middle-market companies in the Western U.S. facing any

of the following challenges: excessive debt, insufficient cash flow or lack of debt

capacity stunting growth. In all of these situations there will usually be friction

with the lender. We can help, by right-sizing the balance sheet, improving cash

flow, negotiating with the lender, and locating alternative capital. Because of our

25-year history in the distressed marketplace, we have credibility with the capital

sources.”




Business Forums International is proud to announce the following new members. One of them may provide you with your next big business opportunity, so be sure to add them to your personal contact list.

SEPTEMBER 2010

NewportDynamic Network ExchangeAllan SipossSeptember 1, 20107:30 – 9:00 a.m.The Pacific Club

Chicago IIDynamic Network ExchangeMichael BettHoulihan LokeySeptember 14, 20107:30 – 9:00 a.m.The Metropolitan Club

Los AngelesDynamic Network ExchangePhilip GainsboroughSeptember 16, 20107:30 – 9:00 a.m.The Jonathan Club

AUGUST 2010

Minneapolis3M ChampionshipAugust 6, 20103:00 – 6:00 p.m.TPC Twin Cities

ChicagoArlington Racetrack EventAugust 26, 201012:00 - 5:00 p.m.Arlington Park Racecourse

MiamiReal Estate, Social Security and Fraud –Impact on Business 2010August 26, 20105:00 – 8:00 p.m.Conrad Miami Hotel

Adam GelcichJP MorganSanta Monica Chapter(310) [email protected]

Kathleen ChapmanThe Private Bank of CaliforniaWest Los Angeles Chapter(310) [email protected]

Matt CovingtonKibel GreenWest Los Angeles Chapter(310) [email protected]

Bob Freytag IntroworksMinneapolis Chapter(952) [email protected]

Philip GainsboroughGainsborough FinancialConsultants Inc.Los Angeles Chapter(310) [email protected]

Melissa HendersonSummit Executive ResourcesWashington, D.C. Chapter(703) [email protected]

David OrrManufacturers BankWest Valley Chapter(818) [email protected]

Nicholas DelgadoDignitasChicago II Chapter(312) 283-8040 [email protected]

Cary TutelmanCJT CompanyMinneapolis Chapter(952) [email protected]

Jean Tardy-VallernaudGainsborough Capital LLCLos Angeles Chapter(310) [email protected]

N E W M E M B E R S G R O W T HS P E A K E R S P O T L I G H T

E x c l u s i v e R e f e r r a l P i p e l i n e

* Meeting dates and times are subject to change. Please visitwww.businessforumsinternational.com or call (800) 718-5634for verification.

HoustonBreakfastSeptember 167:30 a.m.

BostonBreakfastSeptember 177:30 a.m.

Century CityBreakfast

September 167:30 a.m.

Santa MonicaBreakfast


PasadenaScottsdaleBreakfastSeptember 97:30 a.m.

Wall StreetSan Francisco

BreakfastSeptember 22

7:30 a.m.

Palo AltoBreakfast


Newport BeachBreakfastSeptember 17:30 a.m.Orange County


7:30 a.m.

MinneapolisBreakfastSeptember 157:15 a.m.

DenverBreakfastSeptember 177:30 a.m.

Las VegasBreakfastSeptember 177:30 a.m.

San JoseBreakfastSeptember 147:30 a.m.

San Diego

West ValleyBreakfastSeptember 27:30 a.m.

Baltimore

London

Paris

New YorkBreakfastSeptember 217:30 a.m.

GreenwichWashington, D.C.


7:30 a.m.

Los AngelesLuncheonSeptember 1612:00 p.m.

WestLos Angeles


7:30 a.m.

Philadelphia

AtlantaLuncheon

September 1612:00 p.m.

MiamiLuncheon


Portland

Chicago IIBreakfast


DallasBreakfast


ChicagoBreakfast


Special EventSeptember 235:00 p.m.

Special EventSeptember 299:00 a.m.

Current BFI ChaptersNew BFI Chapters














www.businessforumsinternational.com 9

As a member of Business Forums International, you can unlock more than just opportunities within your own local business space; you can also discover a bridge to connections in other cities and regions of the U.S. where you can further build business relationships.

This month, there are several opportunities for you to be a key resource for your fellow members. Learn more about the types of leads and introductions they are seeking below.

Join the Referral Network today by e-mailing your ideal lead to [email protected] to be posted in a future issue.

Title Member Chapter Contact Details

Seeking introductions to CEOs, entrepreneurs, investment bankers, VCs and PE firms that are active in doing deals as well as companies that want to grow.

Ted Rosen New York (212) 878-7931 Counsels large established and emerging growth companies in raising capital, mergers, management buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth strategies, as well as matters related to structuring, organization, financing, employment and compensation.

Seeking introductions to individuals/families that spend $15,000 or more annually for their homeowners, auto excess and miscellaneous personal insurance.

Gregg Carpenter Santa Monica (818) 449-9320 An ideal client looking for professional advice on their personal insurance so that it is properly structured, sensibly priced and regularly reviewed.

Seeking introductions to individuals experiencing a money-in-motion event.

George Cabalu Washington D.C. (703) 734-6580 An ideal client is selling their company, receiving a lump sum distribution, experiencing a liquidity event or a change in their life (retirement or an inheritance), and is seeking a personal CFO to help them achieve their financial goals.

Seeking introductions to public and private companies, nonprofit organizations, and high-profile individuals in need of managing situations that affect their business or reputation.

Roger Gillott Los Angeles (310) 826-8696 Often clients are in a defensive position of minimizing damage. Some seek to generate media attention that creates leverage against the other side. Still others hope to stay out of the spotlight.

With the Los Angeles Kings season around the corner and through our partnership with

the Kings, we recently experienced a thrilling opportunity. It was one of the Kings and

STAPLES Center’s specialized BFI packages.

On September 24 at 10:30 a.m., the Kings and Luc Robitaille, President, Business

Operations hosted an exclusive group of BFI members at its training facility and

headquarters in El Segundo for three exciting activities.

• Members were given the opportunity to take a tour of the team's facility.

• After practice there was a brief presentation on how the strategic partnership

between BFI and the LA Kings can help your business sustain and grow during

these trying economic times.

• Luc Robitaille provided a preview of the upcoming season with a Q&A between

the participants.

For more information about future programs, call Adam Pogach, Business Development

Manager for the LA Kings and your designated contact for BFI members, at (213) 742-7301

or email Adam at [email protected].

L O S A N G E L E S K I N G S T R A I N I N G C A M P

R E F E R R A L S







“

“

I think that a lot of the financing sources are going to start

looking at small and mid-market companies and are going

start getting a little bit more creative about ways that they

can profitably lend to and invest in these companies.

restructurings surprisingly has declined. “Default rates peaked in late 2009 and they

started to tail off fairly rapidly such that the second quarter of 2010 was tracking at a 1% rate vs. 13% in the fourth quarter of 2009,” Covington says. “So we’ve had this dramatic drop-off in the default rate but we have had also a dramatic increase in the amount of debt that’s out there. The so-called ‘maturity wall’ refers to the amounts of debt that are coming due beginning in 2012.”

To put that debt in perspective, in 2010 and 2011, $100 billion of sub-investment-grade bank credit facilities and bonds are coming due. In the 2012 to 2014 period, there will be more than $700 billion coming due.

“When these borrowers seek to refinance in that 2012 to 2014 period, they’re going have a little bit more competition because the best rated borrower of all, the United States government, is going to need to refinance around $2 trillion of its own debt,” Covington says. “If you combine the refinancing that the speculative-grade companies need to do with the refinancing the U.S. government and investment-grade companies need to do, as well as looming maturities and commercial mortgage-backed securities, it amounts to a huge wave of debt coming due in that 2012 to 2014 period.”

There are different schools of thought on how the market is going to deal with it.

“Some people think it portends another restructuring wave,” Covington says. “I happen to be in that camp. There are others, though – a minority but certainly a reasonably prominent minority – that think we will be able to grow our way out of it and therefore deal with the refinancing at that time or pay those maturities off.”

That may sound like an Armageddon-like scenario that only a restructuring professional could love, but Covington notes that for there to be a functioning restructuring market, the capital markets have to be functioning as well. People have to be engaging in transactions.

“When absolutely everything was frozen as it was at the peak of the crisis in late 2008, there really wasn’t any restructuring happening either,” Covington says. “I think one of the head guys at Blackstone observed at the time, ‘Gosh, even the distressed market is distressed.’ So, I think Armageddon is bad but restructuring is a healthy part of the cycle.”

Covington is upbeat about the opportunities for creative, alternative financing in the small to mid-market in the coming years.

“Especially with the recent run up in the capital markets for the larger companies, the opportunities for profitable investment have for the time being become less ubiquitous. And so I think that a lot of the financing sources are going to start looking at small and mid-market companies and are going start getting a little bit more creative about ways that they can profitably lend to and invest in these companies,” Covington says.

Kible Green and Covington will be looking to bring those capital sources together with its distressed clients.

“Anyone who is reading about me and reads about my expertise should feel free to contact me and discuss any capital structure challenges that companies they know might be facing,” Covington says. “It could be a mutually beneficial exchange. They’ll get a third-party perspective on potential solutions from someone who’s got long experience in the field and I’ll get to hear about a new situation that will give me insights into trends out there in the marketplace.”

If you want to contact Matthew Covington about Kibel Green Inc.,call (310) 829-0255 or e-mail him at [email protected].

OP

PO

RT

UN

ITIE

Snetworking




continued on page 12

Nicholas Delgado is a co-founder of Dignitas, LLC, a multifamily office offering a diverse array of life management and high-end concierge services. He is responsible for all aspects of client investment and wealth management programs and services. Delgado is a former executive and wealth manager at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and Certified Financial Planner™. He has developed an extensive network of resources to help clients navigate major asset sales and asset transfers. Delgado is also a regular speaker on topics of capital markets asset allocation strategies, corporate and executive retirement and compensation programs, and succession planning for closely held businesses. He recently met with clique to discuss Dignitas, his professional experience and BFI’s Chicago II chapter.

clique: Can you tell us about your current role at Dignitas?

Nick Delgado: My current role is as Principal and Chief Wealth Officer of Dignitas, a multifamily office in Chicago. Prior to launching Dignitas in 2009, I served in wealth management roles in the private wealth groups at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. I was born and raised in Chicago. After college I did some corporate finance work at GE Capital and traveled around their different capital businesses. I also did some work at one of their reinsurance businesses in Kansas City.

clique: What is your area of expertise at Dignitas?Nick: The role of a multifamily office is to help

successful families coordinate their legal, tax, financial and lifestyle matters. Our client base is deliberately small, intended to service 100 families. A typical day involves working with families through a myriad of issues. Those issues can range from planning-based issues, preparing a family for a transition with their children to college, to preparing for an economic transaction. It could be the failure or acquisition of a business, the purchase of a hard asset like real estate.

clique: How does your experience help your clients’ needs throughout the year?

Nick: We try to implement a thematic approach to how we look at the year, to provide some structure for the family. There’s a big emphasis in the first quarter on taxes, tax preparation and organizing. There is a fair

amount of preparation work. We take that first quarter to help our families get organized, help them digitize a number of their important documents. So the first quarter is about establishing a good tone for the balance of the year.

In the second quarter, we will generally provide structure for our families around any legal matters. This means revisiting estate plans. There are a number of questions with respect to how our families are planning for the changing estate tax environment.

Third quarter is when we do deliberate tax planning. At this stage the family can control what its potential tax outcomes are. We do significant scenario work as it relates to our tax plan. In the fourth quarter there is generally a focus on investments, in terms of how their investments have done throughout the year. We coordinate both their liquid or capital markets assets, which should include stocks, bonds and alternatives. We also coordinate their hard assets.

clique: What would you say is unique about your firm?

Nick: We’re independent. Our role is as an agent or as fiduciary of the family. We do not participate in any fees with third parties. The only fee we earn is directly from the family. The other thing is the depth of our menu. Other institutions primarily focus on offering solutions or products around liquid investments. If you went to a competitor bank or a competitor wire house, there’s a big emphasis on investment funds and such. We go beyond that advice, coordinating the families’ overall financial affairs. The most valuable service that we provide is ongoing counseling in difficult or unique situations, whether they are personal or business-related.

clique: What are some of your clients’ current economic concerns?

Nick: When you’re managing deleveraging of a global economic landscape, there are inflation and tax concerns. One of the principal challenges is sorting out what the fundamental issues of the day are. After that the focus is on making the right decisions. Families that are entrepreneurial face some significant decisions. Particularly the families we work with, who are generally at a stage where they’re thinking about retiring or moving into a transition. They’re thinking about how to

11

“Our families range in net worth from $3 to $30 million. There are no liquid asset

requirements. A good introduction would include families that are entrepreneurial,

first-generation entrepreneurs who are preparing for or who have just gone through

a major business or personal transaction or transition. It’s typically in these catalyst

events that they recognize the need for central coordination.”

“ “

The most

valuable

service that

we provide

is ongoing

counseling

in difficult

or unique

situations.

CHICAGO II CHAPTER

Nicholas DelgadoDignitas, LLC

Professional Category:Principal – Chief Wealth Officer


CornerChairperson’s




structure the best deal, making smart financial decisions in an environment where there are some major potential headwinds and risks.

There’s much volatility in their personal balance sheets over the last couple of years, sorting out what’s next is really the topic we’re working through today. With equities having gone down 40+%, real estate, depending on what market we’re talking about, going down anywhere from 10%-30%, in some cases even more. In a very short period of time, those balance sheets have moved substantially. Families are trying to repair their balance sheets in a deliberate manner while also being cognizant of continuing to create wealth with their assets.

clique: Is this temporary or will it be ongoing?Nick: It’s difficult, particularly for small or middle-

market firms that are still family owned, to forecast in this environment. Part of it is because the quality of the information pipeline to a smaller middle-market company is not as high-quality as it is for a large-cap company. They have a different set of advisors. Sometimes there’s a greater propensity to get bogged down in some of the day-to-day challenges of working with a particular supplier or bank. That can really bear on how they view the world.

clique: What are some of the current industry hot topics?

Nick: A number of new, independent wealth management options are being created as individuals like me move from the major wire houses and banks and brokerages to more independent routes. A couple of years from now I think we will see a bifurcation in financial services where you will have a handful of financial supermarkets, a lot of whom have existed for some time. They’re getting better clarity on what systems should look like, working out their service models. For the mass affluent, the financial supermarket will be a better solution in the future. But I also think families will have alternative options. A slew of boutiques are forming today. Some are independent wealth management shops. Others like Dignitas are more comprehensive and full service in that they’re a multifamily office.

If you think of all the major options for them to sustain their wealth and create more, whether it’s their privately-held company, the international stock market or the real estate market, in the last 36 months at some point their primary economic engine has been compromised to some degree. It is about rebuilding trust and confidence in those primary lines.

clique: Although your business is relatively new, what would you say has changed in the last five years?

Nick: On my side, the incorporation of behavioral finance and the overall recognition of how people’s personal psychology influences how they make financial decisions. Five years ago, my emphasis was on the financial side of the transaction. But as the world and the transactions have become more complex and the depth of our relationship has grown, I’ve recognized that behavior is equally important in the financial considerations of a transaction or relationship. Being able to understand individuals’ motivations and sensitivities, both intra-family and outside of it, in putting together different structures, has been important.

clique: Going forward, what changing to you foresee?

Nick: I think you’re going to see the market break. You’re probably going to see more specialization, people going back to basics. Over the last couple of years, many have tried to provide more in-depth financial planning and broader-based wealth management services. But very few firms have figured out how to generate revenue from those ancillary services. I think what we’ll see people trying to deliver exceptional investment advice and more tightly scope their relationship and accountability around their investment performance. Then you’ll have another set of firms that provide ancillary wealth management services.

clique: What would be the number one challenge you have with your business development each day?

Nick: Because our relationships are pretty deep, the most critical component in developing a new relationship is time. We’re more patient in developing a relationship than some of our families. Our families are not necessarily accustomed to engaging a multifamily office. They’re more accustomed to the transaction of changing advisors. With respect to business development, the challenge for us is creating the space for targeted families to learn about the model and get the appropriate information and education before actually making a decision.

clique: In what way are you able to contribute to the Business Forums community?

Nick: Our families have business and personal matters all over the country. The network of professional advisors that we oversee and coordinate is all over the country as well. So while Dignitas is headquartered in Chicago and many of our families are from Chicago, the business operations of the firm and of our families scale from coast to coast. So we actively look for local advisors to support us in those transactions.

If you want to contact Nicholas Delgado about Dignitas, LLC, call(312) 283-8040 or e-mail him at [email protected].

“

“

Families are trying to repair their balance sheets in a deliberate manner

while also being cognizant of continuing to create wealth with their assets.

CH

AIR

PE

RS

ON

’S

corner




Brian Moll is a shareholder in the Phoenix, Arizona office of Polsinelli Shughart PC, a national law firm with 16 offices nationwide and over 500 attorneys. He represents private and public companies in connection with general corporate and business law, and mergers and acquisitions. Moll has represented companies in a wide range of industries and has experience representing start-ups with respect to capital raising, private equity firms with acquisitions and divestitures, and private investors in private placement financings. Prior to joining his current firm, Moll was with another large national law firm and has also served as general counsel for a privately held semiconductor services company. Moll recently met with clique to discuss his practice, professional experience and BFI’s Scottsdale chapter.

clique: What professional experience has led you to your current role at Polsinelli Shughart?

Brian Moll: I graduated from the Ohio State University College of Law in 1991. I’ve been practicing now for 18-plus years, primarily doing corporate and transactional legal work. My career started with me focusing on corporate and securities work for clients at a large Ohio-based law firm. After several years of practice in Ohio, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona. After working for a mid-size law firm for a couple of years in Phoenix, I went in-house to serve as general counsel for a privately-held company. That gave me good insight into what buyers of legal services are looking for in choosing counsel to represent them. After working for another large national law firm for 10 years, I recently joined the Phoenix office of Polsinelli Shughart in their corporate transactions practice group.

The focus of my practice right now is general corporate work for privately-held companies and transactions work related to mergers and acquisitions. One thing you notice about the Phoenix legal market is that unlike a place like New York, where you might get tied to a certain narrow area, many corporate attorneys in Phoenix have the flexibility to assist clients with a variety of different types of work involving general business law, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and securities offerings.

clique: The Arizona market is known for its real estate boom and many Californians relocated to

Arizona. Can you provide the reader an overview of the types of firms that make up the Arizona market?

Brian: As you pointed out, the driving focus for the economy in Arizona has been real estate. Other industries with a significant presence in Arizona are mining, aerospace and semiconductors. The state and the city of Phoenix are trying to attract new businesses and industry so we are not so heavily dependent on real estate. One area we are making progress in is solar. Also, a genomics institute that started about 10 years ago has spawned a growing biotech industry.

clique: What makes Polsinelli Shughart unique?

Brian: Polsinelli Shughart is the result of a merger in 2009 between two established Kansas City-based firms. We now have 500-plus lawyers, focused in cities that allow us to keep our overhead lower so we can provide real value to our clients and not sacrifice the quality of our work. The firm has many outstanding lawyers in most areas of business law. As a result, we become our clients’ one-stop business law firm that provides them top-quality legal advice.

clique: In today’s economic climate, what are some of your clients’ concerns?

Brian: They’re most concerned with the economic recovery. From a legal services standpoint, it is controlling costs. I have noticed that the phone rings less because clients want to keep their costs down. To counter this, I try to instill in my clients that I want to be a partner with them, not just a service provider. To do this, I stay on top of my client’s business and the issues impacting them so I can offer them better solutions and advice, be a value add. I strive to understand what they’re doing and where they’re going. Many clients still have the view that “going to an attorney is just going to cause me problems.” You’ve got to overcome this mentality and show them you can be a real asset and partner.

clique: What are some of the hot topics within your industry?

Brian: In the legal profession, the hot topic right now is the way we do business and looking to change the business model. The focus is on meeting your client’s legal and financial goals and part of this

“A good referral is a company that has no current counsel or is looking to upgrade its existing counsel. Our sweet spot in the Phoenix market is a company with $5 million to $200 million in revenue. A company this size will have different legal needs, whether it’s general corporate, real estate, labor and employment, etc. My firm can provide all these services and do it very effectively.”

continued on page 14 13

“

“

I stay on top

of my client’s

business and

the issues

impacting

them so I

can offer

them better

solutions and

advice.

SCOTTSDALE CHAPTER

Brian MollPolsinelli Shughart PC

Professional Category:Attorney

Member Since:February 2009


is evaluating alternate billing arrangements to deliver services. The other focus is starting salaries for incoming attorneys. In the past, we were able to pass yearly rate increases on to our clients and this enabled us to justify higher salaries for incoming attorneys. That’s going to become much tougher to do. Some larger, Fortune 500 companies have said they don’t want to see a first-year attorney on the bill. This creates a challenge because you still have to have new incoming attorneys. We still have to train and teach them how to become good, talented lawyers.

clique: How does the public view the legal profession today?

Brian: There’s still some with the mentality of “I’ve got to do this just because I’ve got to do it.” If they are sophisticated businesspeople, they do see the value-add for good legal advice. I have one client that I’ve worked with for a number years. He’s been through different situations in different businesses and he’s come to realize the need for good, practical legal advice. He will reach out to me and others in my firm for that advice and is happy to pay for it. Most people I think are happy with their attorneys, but view the profession on the whole somewhat negatively. In all reality, clients don’t want to change lawyers unless the lawyer does something to really turn them off or the client outgrows their existing lawyer. They might have started with a lawyer at a small firm and then need a larger firm with more resources.

clique: Have there been any significant changes in the last five years?

Brian: Overall, we have seen a pretty steep slowdown in M&A activity and I don’t know when we’ll start seeing significant signs of activity there. We hope to see the kind of activity that occurred in 2005, 2006 and 2007, but it remains to be seen. The other thing I’ve noticed is the ability of start-ups to raise friends and family money. Most start-ups in this

country get initial funding through friends and family. That money is not available now because people’s houses are underwater or their 401(k)s are down. They just don’t feel as comfortable financially as they did in year’s past.

clique: What changes do you foresee in the next five years?

Brian: I think we’re going to have to do a better job of coming up with alternative fee arrangements, controlling our hourly rates and controlling costs. We’ve got to deliver top-quality legal advice efficiently and effectively. Technology is helping us there. Within my firm, it’s nice that I can send out an e-mail and ask “does anybody have experience in this area?” You’d be surprised at all the people who respond.

clique: Are there challenges you encounter in business development?

Brian: I’ve come to the realization that you’ve got to market every day, do something to generate clients. And when you get the clients, I think it’s educating them that you can be a partner, a value-add. You have to get the client to realize you can help them with their business.

clique: With your varied experience, what are some of the things you can offer to other BFI members?

Brian: If they’re part of the BFI network, I can bring them opportunities for their businesses. Many clients I work with have needs and these needs match up with most of the members of BFI. Whether you’re a commercial lender, accountant, insurance broker or commercial real estate broker, these businesses have those needs.

If you want to contact Brian Moll about Polsinelli Shughart PC, call(602) 650-2302 or e-mail him at [email protected].



“

“

We’re going to have to do a better job of coming up with

alternative fee arrangements, controlling our hourly rates and

controlling costs. We’ve got to deliver top-quality legal advice

efficiently and effectively.

CH

AIR

PE

RS

ON

’S

corner




15

BFI Members and Guests Meet LA Kings

Business Forums International, AFN and the LA Kings hosted an incredible event

showcasing the NHL Draft. The event showcased the NHL Draft. In our three suites,

members and some of their family members had the opportunity to meet with

several of the hockey players and the LA Kings Follies and participated in a series of

giveaways. We had over 120 participants at the event.

One wealth manager recently reported that he generated a significant introduction

through this event. We look forward to future events with the NHL and Kings.

CO

MM

UN

ITY

in the



Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get From Start-Up to IPO on Your Termsby Jeffrey Bussgang

Jeffrey Bussgang’s Mastering the VC Game offers entrepreneurs dreaming of building the next Amazon, Facebook or Google the opportunity to take advantage of one of the most powerful economic engines the world has ever known: venture capital. It is a challenging task, and finding and choosing the right investor is an even more difficult one. Even if backing is obtained, one wants a venture capital who is a partner, not a dictator who will undermine their vision and take control of the work. Bussgang is one of a select few who has played on both sides of this high-stakes game. By his early thirties, he had helped build two successful start-ups. One went public and the other was acquired. He now uses his experience and unique perspective as a venture capitalist to help entrepreneurs bring their dreams to fruition. In Mastering the VC Game, Bussgang offers high-level insights, colorful stories and

practical advice gathered from his experiences as well as from interviews with dozens of the most successful players on both sides of the game, including Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman. Bussgang shares how to get noticed, perfect a pitch and negotiate a partnership that works for all involved. This is an insider’s guide into the secrets of the world of venture capital. Mastering the VC Game will prove invaluable for entrepreneurs seeking capital and successful partnerships.

In May, clique featured No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller by Harry Markopolos and Selling in Tough Times: Secrets to Selling When No One Is Buying by Tom Hopkins.This month, tell us what you think of Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get From Start-Up to IPO on Your Terms by Jeffrey Bussgang and Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh, by e-mailing us at [email protected].

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose is the first book by Tony Hsieh, the widely-admired CEO of Zappos, the online shoe retailer. It offers a compelling account of his transformation from Harvard student entrepreneur through his years as a dot-com wunderkind to the creator of a formidable brand. In Delivering Happiness, Hsieh shares how he created a corporate culture with a commitment to service, while also improving the lives of its employees, customers, vendors and backers.With anecdotes and stories from his own experiences, and some from other companies, Hsieh gives us solid ways that companies can achieve unprecedented success. He details many of the distinctive practices at Zappos, such as its philosophy of allocating marketing money into the customer experience, the importance of Zappos’ Core Values (“Deliver WOW Through Service”), and the reason why Zappos’ number one priority is company culture. Hsieh’s belief is that once you get the culture right, everything else (great customer service, long-term branding) will happen on its own. Delivering Happiness explains how Zappos employees actually apply the Core Values to improving their lives outside of work, proving that creating happiness and record results go hand-in-hand.

As a member, you are already aware of the remarkable benefits membership in the Business Forums International community has to offer. Our philosophy has always been that the best way to grow our organization is through a trusted referral process. This is why each prospective member must be sponsored by an existing member before he or she is welcomed into the network. This process ensures that each chapter is composed of the best in class. We rely on and encourage our members to invite guests who will be an asset to the organization and benefit from the types of business development opportunities we offer.Until now, it may have been a challenge for you to relay all of the benefits of membership to a guest attending a BFI event for the first time. This process can be simpler if you log onto our Web site and go to the Membership Overview section. It outlines our history, mission, and most importantly, our promise to provide members with a proven method for achieving business development success.The Membership Overview can be accessed at any time by logging onto our site www.businessforumsinternational.com and selecting “Membership Overview” from the “Member Area” drop-down menu. From there you can download the file, which can be easily forwarded to your guest. The Overview is a way to prepare your guest for what he or she can expect when attending an event. It will help them make the most of their BFI experience.In the end, the more quality members we can bring into the organization, the more opportunities there are for you to expand your business.

M E M B E R S H I P O V E R V I E WA P R O V E N WAY T O O B TA I N T H E B E S T I N C L A S S

You walk into an inviting room where twenty-five of the top business professionals in your

city have gathered together to welcome you to their inner circle. As you study the faces in

the group, you recognize at once that you are among peers: here are serious-minded, proven

performers drawn from a broad range of specialties, including accounting, law, commercial

banking, investment banking, real estate, private equity, and institutional capital. In short,

here are people like you who do business daily with top industry executives and business

principals in the U.S. and abroad, and who have proved that they can open doors to

significant business opportunities. But, perhaps most importantly, here is an exclusive group

that promises to:

• know you, your background, and your business.

• consist only of best-of-class, pre-screened members.

• be your leading resource for qualified leads.

• build lasting, long-term business relationships.

This is Business Forums International (BFI), the international organization that for nearly

ten years has been building results-oriented communities of A-list business professionals

and executives who are serious about forging business relationships through peer-to-peer

collaboration and through access to a unique suite of proprietary online and offline tools that

deliver long-lasting business prospecting results.

Business Forums Internationala subsidiary of Houlihan Lokey

““Your most

important

oppportunity of

the day is a

Business

Forums

International

event.

Here’s How it Works1. CHAPTERSMembership in your local BFI chapter provides access to the leading business professionals

in the most important business regions in the U.S. and abroad. Chapters meet once a month

at premier local establishments with the primary goal of offering exclusive networking

opportunities to members.

Chapter meetings facilitate introductions to new members and allow attendees the

opportunity to present to the group their business, their professional expertise, and the types

of leads and recommendations they desire. This highly focused method of lead generation

proves to be very effective in creating new business for BFI members and featured guest

speakers.

What’s more, as follow-up to every monthly chapter meeting, members and featured guest

speakers are matched for participation in Troika groups (typically three people), which allow

attendees to further the relationship initiated at the monthly meeting in a more intimate,

focused setting. Troika participants usually meet over a meal or beverage in a relaxed

environment to share business development objectives.The benefit of membership becomes clear with that first business referral – and that’s only

the beginning. With BFI, members can unlock more than just opportunities within their own

local business space – they often discover a bridge to connections in other cities in the U.S.

and internationally where they can further build business relationships.

““Members

can unlockmore than just

opportunitieswithin their

own localbusiness

space.

Business Forums International

a subsidiary of Houlihan Lokey

““BFI chapters

provide an

invaluable

and familiar

resource.

2. THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BFI NETWORK

Through its exclusive chapters, BFI knits together a national and international network that

allows individual members to reach out and connect with other BFI communities around the

U.S. and around the world.

BFI chapters can become important stepping stones for members developing their business in

new cities and regions around the country. For example, a member in Los Angeles who wants

to expand his or her business to Boston can use the BFI chapter in Boston to make immediate

key business connections within that city and region. For any members looking to develop

business outside of their local area, BFI chapters provide an invaluable and familiar resource,

and a more comforting, less risky approach to starting life in a new business territory.

Dallas

Houston

Boston

Century CitySanta Monica

Beverly Hills

Scottsdale

Wall Street

San Francisco

Portland

Seattle

Newport Beach I & IIOrange County

Minneapolis

Denver

Las VegasSan Jose

San DiegoWest Valley

Baltimore

London

Paris

New York

Greenwich

MiamiFort Lauderdale

Washington, D.C.

Los AngelesWest

Los Angeles

Philadelphia

Atlanta

Palo Alto

Chicago I & II

Current BFI Chapters

New BFI Chapters

Business Forums International

a subsidiary of Houlihan Lokey

member W

OR

KS

HO

P

R E C O M M E N D E D B O O K S / M E M B E R F E E D B A C K




http://www.businessforumsinternational

chapter business – summit executive resources · serves top executives in the technology...

Documents