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The Vanguard Circle

The Vanguard Circle has been operating since 2024.

Pioneer Multi-Industry

The Vanguard Circle members come from multiple industries including:
  • Shipping and Logistics

  • Flooring Manufacturing

  • Sporting Goods Manufacturing

  • Premium Fitness Apparel

  • Contemporary Wall Art and Decor

  • Electronic Monitoring

  • E-Commerce Fulfillment

  • Global Travel

  • Consulting, Leadership Coaching

  • Pet Food Manufacturing

  • Health Care - Monitoring

  • Financial Services

  • Specialty Manufacturing

  • Early Education Managed Services

  • Children Learning Materials

  • Holistic, Digital Health & Nutrition

  • Art, School and Office Supplies

  • Software Developers

  • Cybersecurity

  • System Engineering

  • Physical Therapy

  • Craft Brewing

The Vanguard Circle is co-sponsored by Procopio and The Pangaea Group | Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Monthly Meetings are Hosted at Procopio

ACG San Diego
ACG San Diego
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Brad Lee

The Vanguard Circle • Chair

I spent 25+ years in positions of increasing responsibility in the medical device space culminating in a 13-year stent as CEO of a mid-cap private equity owned orthopedic medical device company.  I was fortunate to be able to lead the company during its growth from $85M in annual revenue to $275M and 1500 employees.  I now leverage my business leadership experiences (mistakes, successes, significant learnings) and formal training / certification in executive leadership coaching to help guide ambitious and humble leaders to achieve the business and personal success they deserve.  The ACG CEO Circle peer group experience offers a partnership with business leaders that provides a safe, confidential, and challenging space to work through issues and opportunities. Clear insights generally emerge, leading to a more energizing job experience and a thriving business. Leaders are also supported in evolving into the best, most confident and capable versions of themselves.  

Vanguard Discussion Topics

Discussion topics covered in a CEO Circle
  • How to develop and execute a strategic plan

  • Setting a motivational vision and mission

  • Communication skills for the CEO

  • Optimizing your management team

  • Establishing / protecting company culture

  • Using dashboards for KPIs

  • Business development and strategic alliances

  • Revenue building process, concentration

  • Acquisitions and post-closing integration

  • Exit planning, when and how

  • How to make my company salable

  • Getting the most from a commercial bank

  • Working with an investment banker

  • Best practices for raising outside capital

  • How PE looks at opportunities

  • Managing competitive moves

  • Crisis management practices

  • Employee retention, satisfaction and training

  • Equity compensation for key employees

  • How to build a practice of accountability

  • Cybersecurity -what you need to know as a CEO

  • Risk management strategies

  • Real estate strategies

Jason Femrite – Procopio, Partner

The Vanguard Circle Co-Sponsor & Member

Practice focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities and corporate law, including the representation of both private and publicly held companies in a wide range of transactions from structure and formation to finance and acquisition.

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360° Peer to Peer feedback

 The CEO Circle Hot-Seat program provides CEOs an in-depth review of their business.

•    Mission statement and value proposition
•    Vision and values
•    Goals for next three years
•    Strategic focus, ideal customer, brand promise
•    Business model, product/service differentiation

•    Leadership team development
•    Proposed funding and fund raising
•    M&A advice
•    New service offering

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Daniel Morilak, Certified Exit Planning Advisor

Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

The Vanguard Circle – A Word from The Chair

For CEO’s Seeking The Opportunity to Collaborate with Fellow CEOs to Accelerate the Performance of Their Business

Members will meet each month for 2.5 hours with a deliberate focus on surfacing, exploring, and helping each other solve specific issues as well as capitalize on key opportunities to fast-track the performance improvements in their business.  The environment will be challenging and supportive fostering open and candid dialogue that is needed to get everyone’s leadership capabilities to the next level.  The group will also discuss and debate key economic, leadership, cultural, and business performance dynamics to learn from each other’s experiences, successes, failures, and mistakes.

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