David Belden

Building Business Leaders For half a CenturyOn an October morning in 1957, a Wisconsin businessman named Robert Nourse met with four chief executives in the office of the Milwaukee Valve Company to test a simple, but revolutionary idea—by sharing their knowledge and experience, they could help each other get better results for their businesses. Soon this group of businessmen was probing, asking questions and making suggestions. They challenged each other, working together to solve issues and to grow. In that moment, TEC (The Executive Committee) was born.Today, over 50 years later, Vistage International (TEC's successor) and its global affiliates have 14,000 members in 16 countries, representing the world's leading chief executive organization based on revenue. Members meet in small groups every month under the same guiding principles—to help one another become better leaders by making better decisions, thereby achieving better results. They're also connecting in ways Nourse could never have imagined back in 1957, collaborating over the Web, tapping into a vast online resource library, and learning from hundreds of unmatched expert resource speakers.Vistage members are more successful than their competitors and, on average, grow their revenues at twice the percentage growth rate after joining Vistage. The mission statement of Vistage is: To increase the effectiveness and enhance the lives of Chief Executives.

Aside from being a 10-year Vistage Chair (www.Vistage.com), I am the founder of the consulting and facilitation company, ExecuVision International (www.iExecuVision.com). As a Professional Outsider, I observe and analyze organizations and relationships impartially and non-judgmentally, from the outside. ExecuVision specializes in team alignment, executive coaching, workshops, and retreats for companies, associations, not-for-profits, and governmental organizations. The focus of my work is to help teams discover the underlying blockers to cooperation, understanding, and profitability. A significant dimension of my work is in coaching, where I have performed between 30 and 40 sessions a month for the past ten years.

Educated in Denmark, I have 30 years of experience in international trade, garnered while living abroad. My focus was in purchasing, import, export and creating new operations in foreign countries. I have lived in six countries, and worked in an additional ten, providing me with some unique insights into the universal nature of organizations.

Most recently, I have partnered with Lynn Taylor of Taylor Protocols (www.taylorprotocols.com) to facilitate executive and employee profiling using the unique Core Values Index™ to identify the position which would allow each individual to serve the organization at the highest level of his or her ability.

My interests are focused around what I do for a living. I am a professional outsider, viewing organizations and relationships from an objective and insightful perspective. To accomplish that, I continue to spend my time on my own personal development. Specific areas of interest are:

• Applied Phsychology
• Philosophy
• Neuroscience

My interest in all of the above is their practical application in everyday life. I am not an academic. My enjoyment of learning is in it's application.

Vistage delivers the vital perspective chief executives need to see the big picture, test ideas, overcome obstacles and seize opportunities. In groups of up to 16 peers, Vistage members engage in candid and challenging discussions under the facilitation of a highly trained Vistage Chair, such as myself.  If you would like more information about Vistage or to join my network, share your VisualCV with me today.

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Prior to becoming a Vistage Chair, I was CEO of several companies, all involved in various aspects of international trade. When I returned the America to execute a major turnaround for a Swiss company, I became a member of Vistage. At the conclusion of the highly successful, three year restructuring, I became a Vistage Chair myself.

For the past two years, I have also been the Best Practice Chair for Washington, DC and Baltimore Chairs. My work with Vistage is without a doubt, the most rewarding experience of my life. I know that this is where I belong, because it seems that everything I have done until now has prepared me for this challenging and exciting work.

Vistage International (www.Vistage.com), the world's leading chief executive organization, specializes in executive mentoring and  a peer-group forum for small to medium-sized businesses by providing access to a worldwide network of expert resource speakers, CEO peers, and executive learning workshops. Formerly known as TEC, The Executive Committee, Vistage supports the needs of CEOs by providing a place for chief executives to draw on the experience and knowledge of their peers.Drawing on the strength of 14,000 business leaders worldwide, the core component of the Vistage CEO membership experience is the group meeting; Vistage members meet once a month for a full day with a group of CEOs, presidents, and business owners from non-competing small to medium-sized business industries in a trusted and confidential setting, which allows the executives to grapple with topics such as business strategies, best business practices, leadership styles, and other leadership training topics to enhance decision making and business performance. Members also gather several times a year at regional, national, and international conferences to exchange ideas and connect with chief executives beyond their own CEO peer groups. Finally, Vistage members engage in one-to-one coaching with their Vistage Chair, an objective business advisor who offers executive insights, business advice, accountability, and effective leadership help and support.