Bill Rutledge

Santa Rosa, CA

My business experience

For the past eight years, I have been a Vistage chair, a consultant and business coach, CEO, and board member. As a consultant, I have done in-depth work with more than 15 Bay Area companies. I serve on three boards and have been the CEO of an online HR information management service, SharedHR.

Before becoming a Vistage Chair, I had a career as a corporate and investment banker with Citigroup/Citibank. This included positions in New York, Puerto Rico, St. Louis, Paris, Tunis, Athens, Buenos Aires, Santiago and San Francisco. My last position with Citibank was as Chief Credit Officer for Business Lending in California and Nevada. I also headed a team to transfer U.S.-based small business lending techniques to Europe, Asia and Latin America.

My Vistage experience

I chair a Chief Executive group and two Key Executive groups (one consisting of chief financial officers). During the past eight years, I have worked with more than 100 Bay Area companies and conducted more than 1,000 one-to-ones (individual coaching) with Vistage members.

Membership in Vistage creates extraordinary value. Members are a vigorous, committed board of advisors for each other. The most critical issues and decisions faced by member companies are discussed in a candid and open exchange. The experience and expertise of group members are unique resources to grow profitability, build a stronger management team, bring in key new talent, refocus company direction, or manage any of the other challenges a CEO faces. The work of the group builds connection and trust, and helps members achieve a better life balance.

Vistage is also about learning. The Vistage experience places members on an entirely different learning curve—the results of peer feedback and the dynamic presentations given by our expert resource speakers. Being a Vistage member teaches you how to hone your listening skills, to be open to the ideas of others, and to contribute your knowledge and experience to help others. My Vistage groups

My Vistage groups

Member companies range in size from 15 to 550 employees, with annual revenues from $5 million to more than $200 million. Members range in age from 35-60.

Industries represented include: food manufacturing, forensic toxicology, executive search, construction, third-party logistics/warehouse management, venture capital-backed agriculture business, food distribution, insurance brokerage, interior systems for commercial greenhouses, bio-tech, packaging and mesquite charcoal production and distribution.

Who is the “ideal” Vistage member?

The ideal Vistage member is committed to running a better business, facing the tough market reality that he or she is operating in, and to growing and developing those who work for him or her. In our group, the ideal member is authentic, candid, open, willing to be frank with others, available to help other members outside of the meeting, and willing to be held accountable by the other group member.

More about Bill Rutledge

I have a B.A. in Economics from the University of California Los Angeles, where I was a UC Regents Scholar. I have also studied at the University of Madrid, and am fluent in Spanish and French.

I have chaired two school boards—the International School of Paris and the American Cooperative School in Tunis. I have served on the boards of a community health clinic in Santiago, Chile and on the board of the California Yoga Teachers Association.

In my spare time I enjoy reading history and social analysis; watching and analyzing movies; hiking, playing tennis, doing yoga; and spending time with my three grandchildren.