It can be lonely at the top, but The Executive Committee (TEC) Canada has successfully countered that premise for 40 years. This peer advisory model brings together CEOs, entrepreneurs and senior executives to share experiences, tackle challenges and build stronger leaders. Through mentorship, accountability and continual learning, TEC empowers leaders to not only grow their businesses but also to transform themselves, their organizations and the communities they serve.
“It’s a unique model, a peer-to-peer support model where leaders come together and have conversations and support one another in an independent environment, to build non-supply, non-competing relationships,” says Todd Millar, president and CEO of TEC Canada.
This unique model began in Wisconsin in 1957, where a businessman named Robert Nourse met with four other CEOs to test a radical idea: sharing their experience and wisdom so they can all grow as professionals and as people. This revolutionary concept of non-competitive support at executive levels spread, and Nourse invited people in other states and then other countries to set up their own groups, bringing this model of shared learning to new communities.
Canadian Dr. W. Lynn Tanner did just that, establishing a group in Calgary in 1985 and then building the organization in centres from coast to coast. TEC (rebranded as Vistage) gave rise to more than 800 locations with 45,000 members in more than 35 counties. Today, TEC Canada’s Calgary headquarters supports nearly 2,000 members across 100 locations, and Millar recognizes the huge impact and reach of the professionals who are part of the Canadian arm of the organization.
“If you thought about it on a very holistic level, if you added up all of the revenue associated with TEC Canada, we would be somewhere around $75 billion of economic value to the country. We would be influencing upwards of 250,000 employees in terms of the total view of all those entities. One could argue that that would be millions of Canadians. We don’t take it lightly,” he says.
Nor do TEC members, who are heading up small- and medium-sized businesses across industries with revenues ranging from $100,000 up to $500 million. Members fall into four groups: CEOs and owners, small business owners, key executives that are second-in-command, and advancing leaders who are identified as rising stars within their companies. By bringing together leaders at every stage, from seasoned executives to the next generation of decision makers, TEC strengthens Canada’s leadership pipeline and creates a continuous cycle of learning, mentorship and shared success.
TEC chairs are deeply invested in each member’s growth and success. Throughout the month, they conduct two-hour one-on-one coaching sessions to help members navigate challenges, explore opportunities and gain strategic clarity. Many of these insights and issues are then brought forward to the monthly TEC meeting for broader discussion and support.
At these monthly meetings, members convene for a full-day session designed to inspire learning, collaboration and problem-solving. The morning features a presentation from a leading subject-matter expert, while the afternoon is reserved for peer discussions, real-time issue processing and member-led presentations. TEC’s network includes more than 1,500 vetted speakers worldwide, covering an array of leadership topics such as operations, finance, business development, AI, economic uncertainty and more!
In addition to regular meetings, TEC Canada hosts an annual national conference featuring high-calibre keynote speakers and timely business discussions. Regional groups also offer targeted development programs for their member base, further strengthening the leadership ecosystem. TEC leaders, known as chairs, benefit from their own annual global event, ensuring they remain equipped to guide and elevate the members they support.
“We have a two-and-a-half-day event with activities that are all about their own training and development as chairs to keep their saws sharp, and we celebrate them through our annual awards banquet as well,” says Millar.
The chairs ensure their members have the tools and guidance they need to become stronger leaders, but accountability within TEC does not flow only one way. Members hold each other accountable for pursuing opportunities and addressing challenges they bring to the table. Every conversation is confidential, creating a safe, trusted environment where executives can openly express vulnerability, uncertainty and seek advice on complex issues; for many executives, this is the only place they can do so. Unlike traditional business associations or networking groups that revolve around exchanging business cards and chasing deals, TEC offers something deeper and more meaningful.
“That’s not what TEC Canada is at all. Our model is clearly all about opportunities for leaders to come together who are really interested in increasing their effectiveness as a business leader, and also enhancing their lives personally as well as professionally,” Millar says.
After leading several billion-dollar companies, spending 10 years as a TEC chair and the last nine years as TEC Canada CEO, Todd Millar believes the secret to success, and to life, lies in serving one another; TEC embodies that philosophy, bringing leaders together each month to champion one another’s growth and unlock their full potential. In a world where leadership can feel isolating, TEC Canada stands as a rare community where business leaders don’t just build up companies, they build each other up, too.