About Us

Mission The CEO Roundtable will value your accomplishments, challenge your perspectives and support your drive to succeed.

Vision Better leaders. Better businesses. Better Lives.

Our membership is comprised of CEOs from fast growing Minnesota companies who want to share their ideas, experiences and insights. Roundtables include leaders who are interested in growing their companies by leveraging the knowledge of their peers. Many of our members have been featured in the media and are often singled out for their achievements and viewpoints as leading entrepreneurs.

Our groups average about 10 members each with a limit of 12. We’ve learned that this size is the right balance to deliver maximum insights with minimum clutter.

The CEO Roundtable was started in 2002 as a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to provide a safe/confidential haven for peer sharing amongst the leaders of Minnesota’s growing companies. We’re committed to helping one another succeed. We choose to be self-facilitated to keep dues affordable and accessible to CEOs seeking to tap the power of their peers.

54% of member’s companies are $2M – $10M in Revenue
29% of member’s companies are $11M – $50M in Revenue
17% of member’s companies are $51M+ in Revenue

The CEO Roundtable member companies provide products and services for a wide variety of industries including:

Agriculture/Mining / Construction, Building Services / Education / Finance, Insurance, Real Estate / IT Services / Manufacturing / Nonprofit / Professional Services / Publishing / Retail/Wholesale / Software

Our Board of Directors

Mike Monson - Chairman of the Board and CEO of Benson-Orth Associates

“CEORoundtable has given me the confidence to go out and obtain the tools to take my company to the next level.”

About Benson-Orth Associates - Benson-Orth Associates is a medium to large general contractor specializing in Retail/Hospitality, Industrial, Multi Family/Skilled Care and Office/Office Medical construction. Benson-Orth Associates has been in the general construction business since 1969 and has completed projects across the United States. Currently Benson-Orth Associates is building a project in Baltimore, MD and just secured a $32 million project in St. Paul, MN.

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Jeffrey Chanen - President & CEO of The Maintenance Team, Inc

“I never thought a group of individual’s would care as much about my success as their own. I would have never achieved the results I have without my roundtable. It has been 18 years and every meeting keeps getting better!”

Jeff Chanen’s professional career began in property management working with both local and national real estate firms including The Shelard Companies, United Properties and RREEF. In 1997, he became President and CEO of The Maintenance Team, a provider of facilities consulting services, building technical services and mechanical services serving commercial property owners, managers and tenants. In 2001, he acquired sole ownership of this company and later launched Progressive Heating & Cooling HVAC, a subsidiary of The Maintenance Team. Jeff has earned his Certified Property Manager (CPM) and Real Property Administrator (RPA) designations. In 2014, Jeff co-founded Ardent Real Estate Advisors, a boutique consulting firm working with high net worth families that own real estate in their trusts and estates.

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Bruce Volkart - Chairman/Partner at Volkart May

"Over the years, my CEO Roundtable group has served as my Board. They’ve consistently challenged my thinking as Volkart May has continued to grow."

Bruce Volkart is Chairman and Managing Partner for Volkart May. For more than nine years prior to founding Volkart May, Bruce was Principal and President of Andcor Companies, a Minneapolis firm providing full-service executive search as well as general human resource consulting services. Bruce is currently on the Board of Advisors for St. Catherine’s Sales Innovation Program and is an active member of the Business Marketing Association, Medical Alley, and The CEO Roundtable organizations. He also serves on the board of Hammer Residences, Inc. Previously, Bruce served on the Board of Directors of the Twin West Chamber of Commerce in Minneapolis and was a Chairperson of the Chamber’s Small Business Council. Bruce also served on the Board of Advisors for the Business-to-Business Database Marketing national conference. Bruce provides business development and go-to-market consulting expertise focused on direct marketing strategies to healthcare and B2B organizations.

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Chuck Gruber - President & CEO of Safe Reflections Inc.

“The CEO Roundtable has greatly expanded my network of trusted business leaders and advisors. It has provided me an efficient format to obtain valuable advice to help me run and grow my business while also allowing me the opportunity to share my experiences with other businesses in the Twin Cities.”

About Safe Reflections Inc. – SRI is a global technology leader in providing reflective solutions to the occupational safety, military training and consumer active wear apparel markets. We convert purchased reflective material for many of the world's leading manufacturers of uniforms, safety clothing, and athletic apparel to enhance the wearer's safety during outdoor work or play. Founded in 1994, Safe Reflections is a private company with a new manufacturing and technical research facility in Saint Paul, MN and a new converting facility in Taiwan.

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Glenn Starfield - Franchise Owner, Express Employment Professionals

“The CEO Roundtable is the best value I have seen in the area of peer groups in the Twin Cities. The members of my roundtable are serious about helping one another and care about the decisions that I make personally and professionally.”

About Express Employment Professionals – Express Employment Professionals partners with businesses to help them save time and money building their workforce. They have a team of recruiters that focus on commercial and administrative positions, along with niche-driven recruiters that focus on mid to senior level placements in Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Engineering, IT and Logistics.

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John Long - CEO of Avionté

“Being involved in The CEO Roundtable provides the opportunity to not only receive insight from other business leaders, but to also use my experiences to provide mentorship. It’s an invaluable opportunity that I’m excited to be a part of.”

About Avionté - Since its foundation in 2005, John Long has been the CEO of Avionté, which provides innovative recruiting and staffing software solutions to the HR industry. Avionté offers front- and back-office staffing software solutions with a strong focus on service and client relationships and is committed providing innovative staffing technology solutions that go beyond software by working to establish true and lasting partnerships, well beyond the sale.

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Bob Freytag - President of Introworks, Inc.

“To become a better leader, we need to surround ourselves with smart people we trust, who help point out our blind spots and who are ultimately there to support and challenge us. That’s what I’ve found at The CEO Roundtable and why it’s valuable.”

About Introworks - Introworks is a strategic B2B branding and marketing communications agency that specializes in launch(ing). We have guided hundreds of successful introductions over the last 20+ years and we’ve found that our launch process brings the rigor, focus and energy it takes to make success less random. We create insights that incite and change the game for our clients through the power of Catalytic Ideas.

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Kevin Gyolai, Ph.D. - CEO and founder of Gyolai Consulting, LLC

"The CEO Roundtable has allowed me to expand my circle of peers, all of whom are committed to helping me grow and improve in my role as CEO."

Kevin Gyolai, PhD, is CEO and founder of Gyolai Consulting, LLC. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Gyolai Consulting was founded on the principle that organizations and individuals often need a fresh perspective to identify and tear down the barriers preventing them from reaching their fullest potential. As a relationship-based agency, Gyolai Consulting is dedicated to solving challenging business problems and providing total solutions. Our Dust-Free approaches reinforce our belief that actions speak louder than words, and that revolutionary ideas aren't meant to sit in a binder on the shelf collecting dust. Specialties include strategic planning, implementation and assessment; leadership development and coaching; succession planning; and change management.

Greg Hoyt - Owner of Rustica Bakery

“The CEO Roundtable has given me a peer group within my table that has proven invaluable as I navigate how best to lead in business. Additionally, the resources available on a macro level as a member of CEO Roundtable are relevant and useful to not just me but others in my organization as well”

Rustica Bakery is home to nationally-acclaimed breads, pastries, cookies and desserts – 15 years of experience in developing timeless products, as well as creating items that customers are clamoring for.

Michael Miller - President, CEO Roundtable

"Gaining from the wisdom of other Roundtable CEOs every month has been the most efficient investment of time I could make in my business. Over the years we’ve shared experience and insights to help each other realize countless opportunities and avoid costly mistakes."

Michael has been a member of the CEO Roundtable himself for over 12 years. Previously Founder and CEO of Hound Dog Products – a national marketer of specialty lawn & garden tools – he sold the company in 2007 and has since that time been consulting small businesses. Michael became President of the CEO Roundtable in March of 2013.

Jenny Haldeman - Member Services Coordinator, The CEO Roundtable

“I get to see the comradery and growth The CEO Roundtable establishes in our members small groups and companies. It’s exciting to hear about the challenges they have overcome and opportunities gained individually because of their tables combined knowledge.”

Jenny joined The CEO Roundtable in April of 2015 and continues to add value to both the organization and to our growing member list. As the organizations Administrative Assistant, she is consistently gathering resources and working for every roundtable to help their meetings go smoothly. She also completes most of the “behind the scenes” work to keep The CEO Roundtable running. On her wall is sign that reads “WIIFM”, which means “What’s in it for Members” - she lives by it every day.

Our Strategic Partners

The Strategic Partner Program was developed as a means of adding value to the Roundtable experience. These partnerships consist of one leader per identified industry who have demonstrated expertise in their field and experience working with seasoned entrepreneurs and growth-driven companies.

Our Strategic Partners provide our members immediate access to industry leaders who can provide insights into the critical issues our member companies face. Strategic Partners prepare presentations to address the “hot topics’ identified by our members and deliver either to individual Roundtables or to an open membership forum if the issue spans across the membership.