VISTAGE WORLDWIDE, INC. APPOINTS SAM REESE AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Leon Shapiro Remains on the Company’s Board of Directors

San Diego, CA – Dec. 14, 2015 – Vistage Worldwide Inc. (“Vistage”) today announced that Sam Reese has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective January 15, 2016. Mr. Reese brings deep experience in the executive education and peer mentoring space, most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer and Board member for Miller Heiman, Inc., a global leader in business performance, customer experience, and leadership development. He will succeed Leon Shapiro, who will continue to serve on the company’s Board of Directors, working closely with Mr. Reese and the management team to ensure a smooth leadership transition and guide Vistage’s current long-term strategy and brand.

Leon Shapiro shared, “I am proud of the significant accomplishments during my tenure and grateful for the support of the Vistage community. Over the last three years we have developed and implemented a long-term strategy to refocus the business on the support of our Chair and member network, invigorated and expanded our brand, and leverage the global power of our community. Sam’s prior involvement in our community, industry experience and leadership talent will be invaluable as Vistage continues to execute this strategy and enhances its transformative influence on business leaders globally. I am excited about my continued role as a Vistage member, a Director and passionate advocate for Vistage.”

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank Leon for his leadership over the past three years and for the instrumental role he played in charting our course for the future. Under his guidance, Vistage has established an important regional infrastructure to enhance the services and opportunities we provide to our Chairs and members. As a result, our network has grown more than 25 percent to over 20,000 members and 850 Chairs across the globe,” said Robert Finocchio, Chairman of the Vistage Board of Directors.

Finocchio added, “Sam Reese has a long-term connection to Vistage and appreciates its mission and values, having been a member for nearly a decade when he led the Miller Heiman organization.  Sam is passionate about empowering leaders to achieve their goals and has a track record of strengthening corporate cultures and building world class teams. His expertise makes him ideally suited to leverage the progress we have made under Leon’s leadership, further expanding Vistage’s network around the world.”

Mr. Reese brings over 25 years of experience leading and advising senior leaders in complex organizations. As Chief Executive Officer of Miller Heiman, Inc., he implemented an effective international strategy and redesigned the business model to position the company as a brand leader in executive development. The independent distribution model he and his team built became a model for other companies to follow and contributed greatly to outstanding customer experiences and extremely high retention rates. Mr. Reese also previously held senior positions at Corporate Express (now owned by Staples), Kinko’s, Inc. and British Telecom.

Mr. Reese stated, “I have long admired Vistage and have for many years personally benefited from the community it provides. I have deep respect for the company’s vision and am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead such a dynamic and meaningful organization. I look forward to working with Vistage’s employees, Chairs, Speakers and members to help even more executives around the world deliver their best personal and business results.”

In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Reese is also a Member of the Board of RO Innovation and on the Advisory Boards of Envysion and RoundPegg. He is the author of two published books on account management and an experienced keynote speaker. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado and has completed various executive programs at Stanford University and Northwestern University.

About Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. For more than 65 years, we’ve been helping CEOs, business owners and key executives solve their greatest challenges through confidential peer groups and one-to-one executive coaching sessions. Today, more than 45,000 members in 35 countries rely on Vistage to help make better decisions for their companies, families and communities. The results prove it: Vistage CEO members grew their annual revenue on average by 4.6% in 2020, while nonmembers with comparable small and midsize businesses saw revenue decrease by 4.7%, according to a study of Dun & Bradstreet data. Learn more at vistage.com.

Media Contact
Katie McWeeney | Vistage
858.523.6875 | katie.mcweeney@vistage.com