Richard J. Bell

Palo Alto, CA



My business experience

I have been an independent business founder/owner/operator, family business operator, and seed capital investor. I have served as a board member of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. I have worked as an advisor/coach with more than 300 executives and professionals from a wide diversity of businesses and disciplines—both as a Vistage Chair and as a partner in an executive coaching/career development firm.

My Vistage experience

I have been a Vistage Chair since 1996. I facilitate two Chief Executive groups, a Key Executive group and a Trusted Advisor group. Based on member surveys I am regarded as a “high-performing” Chair, with scores “among the best of the world” and “in the top 15 among all Chairs receiving a Chair feedback report.”

I have also served as a workshop leader at Vistage Chair Conferences and a coach to new Vistage Chairs-in-training.

Ultimately, the CEO and key executive bring into reality the vision he or she has for themselves and their companies. The question for me is: What is that vision? What beliefs are shaping that vision? What past experiences—both positive and negative—influence current decision-making that may or may not be serving the executive?

Two outcomes are achieved through members discussing and “solving” real-world challenges and opportunities: (1) great advice and counsel for executive action and (2) transformational experience that moves the member to a new insight and understanding of themselves.

My Vistage groups

Members of my Vistage groups are “hired CEOs” of public and private companies; founders of venture and privately funded companies; purchasers/owners of private companies and executives with internal P/L responsibility in major U.S. companies. Up to half of the members are female, depending upon the group.

Members of these groups lead or have led organizations from pre-revenue, venture-funded start-ups to companies generating more than $1 billion annually. Nearly half of the members lead high-technology companies, serving the semi-conductor, fiber-optic and biomedical fields.

Who is the “ideal” Vistage member?

The “ideal” member is an executive with the insight to know that his or her success is proportional to the level of talent in their circle of influence. The concept of a “Mastermind Group” is more than theory; in the form of a Vistage group, it represents a vital ingredient in an executive’s success formula. This requires insight, self-awareness, the ability to be vulnerable, and a willingness to explore the “soft side” in the context of the challenges and opportunities on the table.

More about Richard J. Bell

My leadership experiences, combined with engineering and business academic studies (BSME and MBA) have helped me develop insights and perspectives that enable me to:

  • Focus on a wide range of business and personal issues
  • Ask “foundational” questions
  • Expose underlying assumptions and beliefs

I am committed to helping chief executives, key executives and professional service providers develop a clearer view of reality and make better decisions in their professional and personal lives.