Argyle Executive Forum memberships are closely managed through an invitation-only process to ensure quality and balance within each membership community. Memberships comprise senior operating leaders and board members from private and public companies, investment professionals, as well as public-policy makers. The memberships also maintain highly targeted sub-memberships/special interest groups that focus on a specific discipline, business topic or investment area.

Over 40,000 executives participate in our communities, with over 700 new members joining each month.

Executive Function Memberships:
• Board of Directors
• Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Marketing Officer
• Chief Information Officer
• Corporate Development & Strategy
• Customer Care
• General Counsel
• Human Capital

Industry Memberships:
• Bankruptcy / Restructuring / Turnarounds
• Endowments, Foundations, and Pension Funds
• Healthcare
• Investment Management
• Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology
• Private Equity
• Retail / CPG

Argyle Executive Forum’s Bankruptcy / Restructuring / Turnarounds Membership currently represents over 1000 senior investment professionals focused on the distressed space, as well as buyout and bankruptcy deal makers from mid market (AUM between $500m – $1b) and large market (AUM greater than $1b) private investment firms.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/13/2012)

Outlook on the Deal Environment:

• The increase of covenant amendments /loan extensions - does that forecast the next distressed cycle in 2013-16?
• Outlooks for default rates in 2012 – where are they going to be most significant, regions? Sectors?
• Divestiture trends: What opportunities are there in non-core assets being sold off?
• A look at the opportunities for balances sheet vs. operational restructurings.  Is there a need for more operational expertise amongst distressed investors?
• Outlooks for liquidation vs. chapter 11 in 2012

Hot Sectors for Distressed Investing:

• With less volatility in 2011 and default rates low, where are investors looking outside their traditional wheelhouses for deals?
• Are municipalities the next “hot” sector for distressed investors?
• As fund-raising remains challenging, will private equity funds provide opportunities for distressed investors in the next couple of years?
• Are there opportunities in the financial services sector? Will the US or Europe have more opportunities in that space?
• Are middle-market and consumer driven companies the place to look for 2012?
• Are there attractive opportunities in liquidation or litigation strategies?

Commercial Real Estate:

• Which sectors of the real estate market continue to show opportunities for distressed investors? In the US is it primarily regionally driven?
• What international markets have the best opportunities? Are Europe and the Middle East the key players?
• Where’s the bottom for distressed real estate in the US?

Thoughts on the Political Environment Affecting Investors: 

• Is the Fed addressing the real problems of the US economy? A look at the relationship between the lending environment and investor confidence: which is more responsible for the current economic crisis?
• Occupy Wall Street – thoughts on the real influence of the negative consumer outlook/social unrest.
• European Crisis: what are you biggest concerns for US markets stemming from Europe? Thoughts on Greek contagion.
• Expected challenges in the lead up to the 2012 election – ramifications for the markets?

Financing/Lending Outlook for 2012/3:

• Who is lending to the middle market since the traditional sources have pulled back?
• What happened to the ‘wall of debt’?
• Are there opportunities or trends towards funds increasing their lending vs. investing activity to capitalize on the current environment?
• Predictions and outlooks for new CLO issuance in 2012 – are loans a resilient asset class?

Distressed Investing Outside the US:

• A look at the effects of Basel II & III regulations and potential opportunities created from asset sales by financial institutions in Europe.
• How to navigate the political and financial situation to really find the opportunities? What kind of expertise is going to be required to sift through the noise?
• Europe is taking up all the headlines, but where else globally are there opportunities for distressed investors?

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Elizabeth Cooke
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 380-1250
ecooke@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Board of Directors Membership currently represents over 3000 internal and external board members from mid cap (revenue between $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/13/2012)

Goals for 2012

• Getting Proactive Again- after years of reacting to economic stress 2012 is the year to get your company re-focused on growth strategy.
• Given the Say on Pay vote and the proposed proxy access rule, it’s time to communicate with major shareholders and other stakeholders about what is going on with your company.
• Understand how management is responding to the Social Media phenomenon.
• Help management adapt to the increased regulation caused by the financial crisis.

Executive Compensation: A Balancing Act

• The effect of Say on Pay -  what we can learn from similar policies abroad
• Ensuring that your executive compensation programs attract top talent while meeting shareholder expectations
• Aligning pay with performance without incentivizing excessive risk taking
• External scrutiny: How do executive compensation programs stay competitive without drawing criticism from the public, unions, and other stakeholders?

Management Succession

• Best practices for effective succession planning
• How to protect corporate reputation and company morale during a transition
• Examining the SEC’s new position with regard to shareholder proposals focused on CEO succession planning

The Challenge Posed by Activist Shareholders and Unsolicited Takeovers

• Responding to increased activism from institutional shareholders
• How to protect the long-term interests of a corporation against short-term goals of activist shareholders
• How should the board react on receipt of an unsolicited takeover proposal?
• How does SEC oversight affect the board and shareholders of a corporation targeted by shareholder activists?

The Changing Regulatory and Legal Landscape

• Assessing the immediate and long-term impact of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill
• The ongoing impact of FCPA and similar regulations abroad
• Exploring the board’s role in monitoring compliance issues
• Understanding IFRS and US GAAP convergence

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Jason Redlus
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0025
jredlus@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Chief Financial Officer Membership currently represents the financial leadership from over 1000 mid cap (annual revenue $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to: (Last updated 3/6/2012)

CFO Leadership Roundtable

• Discussion of some of the key challenges and market trends CFOs are expecting in 2012.
• Thoughts on the evolution of the CFO’s role.
• A look at how the CFO’s role varies by organization size/industry, as well as discussions about some of the similarities.
• Resource management:  Where are CFOs looking to cut costs and where are they looking to invest?
• Thoughts on the relationship between the CFO and CEO:  How has it evolved?

The CFO as a Strategic Role

• A look at best practices for the relationship between finance and corporate development.
• Thoughts on how finance and M&A should be structured:  Should it be a combined role or complementary but separate teams?
• What new skills should CFOs develop in order to gain the strategic edge?
• Discussion around the need for CFOs to have more operational expertise rather than just financial acumen.

Best Practices for Managing Enterprise Risk

• What are the key risks at the forefront in 2012? Is economic risk the most apparent?
• Thoughts on the various ways to address risk, including prevention, mitigation and acceptance. What organizational factors need to be considered to determine the best approach?
• Thoughts on how to implement changes to planning and budgeting to address risk factors.
• Discussion around the need for a dedicated Risk Officer role. 
• Enforcing compliance:  Thoughts on getting companywide buy-in and cooperation on compliance issues.

CFO and Talent Management

• Thoughts on talent management within finance:  Best practices for attracting and retaining talent.
• Discussion of trends and challenges around compensation at the company level.
• Spotlight on the talent pool:  Experienced Baby Boomers vs. tech-savvy Gen Y. Where should talent be sourced?

Technology and Software Trends

• What are the key technology trends CFOs are exploring? What is the main technology goal for finance and the organization as a whole?
• Thoughts on the cloud:  Where does the true value lie? How can security concerns be mitigated?
• A look at best practices between CFOs and CIOs:  How the relationship is changing and what skills the CFO should learn from the CIO.

Accounting, Tax and Regulatory Best Practices

Even as the CFO role evolves to encompass more than just accounting, there remains a need to keep on top of the accounting function. Especially with a greater emphasis on transparency in business. Topic imperatives include:

• What are some of the key risks arising from the tax and regulatory environment? Are effects limited to certain industries, e.g., healthcare?
• What are the concerns around the availability of credit and the price of borrowing as a result of the Volcker Rule?
• A look at best practices for staying on top of changing accounting standards. What will be the effects of changes to the international accounting standards? 
• Thoughts on managing talent and resources within the accounting function.

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Scott Robbin
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-1013
srobbin@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Chief Information Officer Membership currently represents the senior IT executives from over 600 mid cap (annual revenue $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/6/2012)

Chief Information Officer Predicts & Prepares

• What new technologies will have the biggest impact on business in the year ahead?
• How are IT departments responding to economic pressures to reduce costs and contribute to revenue?
• What are the biggest security challenges that IT departments are currently facing?
• Recent trends in the IT workforce:  What steps are you taking to attract and utilize the right talent in the right positions?
• The role of CIO in an organization:  Past, present and future. 

Cloud Computing:  Assessing the Benefits and Limitations

• What are the key benefits of cloud computing for a business? Does it effectively cut costs? Improve productivity?
• What types of services and business processes best lend themselves to a cloud-based approach?
• How are IT departments addressing the security issues presented by cloud computing?
• Best practices for moving an existing service to the cloud.
• SaaS versus internally built cloud computing systems:  When does each approach make the most sense?

New Innovations in Mobile Devices and Wireless Technology

• Which new mobile devices will remain viable tools for business users?
• Where has wireless network technology made the most improvements in the last year?
• How does your organization choose which mobile devices and platforms to support?
• What security issues do mobile devices present and how are IT departments responding to them?

Chief Information Officer Perspectives on Social Media

• How can social media campaigns and applications best be used to help companies connect with customers?
• What effects are social media platforms having on your company’s internal communications and culture?
• What is your firm’s policy on social media use by employees, and how does your IT department handle the increased security risks posed by employee use of social media sites?
• Which social media platforms are most important?

Leading IT on a Worldwide Scale – Examining the Pitfalls and Politics

As the world continues to shrink and more and more businesses are going global, the world of today’s CIO has also crossed boundaries. This global transformation has brought on a new set of challenges and obstacles for the CIO. This session will discuss:

• How to measure the overall success of the global organization.
• Ways to drive innovation from the edges and not just from the center
• Managing the political implications of “globalizing” when region IT leaders are used to running their own IT “show.”
• How to keep operations running smoothly and morale high amidst natural disasters and political disruptions.

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Jason Redlus
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0025
jredlus@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s CMO Membership currently represents the marketing leadership from over 1000 mid cap (revenue between $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to: (Last updated 3/6/2012)

The Changing Role of the CMO

• Smoothly integrating the CMO into the C-Suite.
• Leveraging relationships with fellow executives to better integrate marketing endeavors within overall corporate goals.
• Reshaping and restructuring marketing teams to be more results-driven.
• Functioning as a “change agent” for the company

Enabling your team to utilize imagination and avoid the status quo.

• Outsourcing marketing:  What industries are doing it, what advantages can you leverage and what pitfalls should you avoid?

The Key Elements of an Exceptional Brand

• Continuous innovation:  Never getting comfortable with what?s successful; always exploring new opportunities.
• A positive, open culture:  Creating an environment that fosters optimism, confidence, freedom and hunger for change.
• Consistent measurement:  Constantly pursuing new ways to track and measure initiatives; building a results-driven environment.
• Uniqueness:  Distinguishing your brand from the rest of the pack; connecting to consumers in an exclusive way.

Taking Advantage of Digital Marketing and Adapting to Constant Change

• Understanding how consumer behavior has fundamentally changed over the past decade.

Evaluating whether your marketing strategies have adapted properly.

• The fading distinction between the on-line and in-store experience and this phenomenon?s impact upon decision-making.
• The emergence of mobile marketing and how to use it to complement the in-store experience.
• The value of localized marketing:  Connecting to consumers and building loyalty through a more tailored approach.

Straddling global brand consistency and local relevance.

• The importance of dedicating people and time towards staying on top of the constant emergence of new technologies and trends.
• How to facilitate the intersection of traditional marketing and newer digital techniques.

Renewing and Strengthening the Focus on the Consumer

• Never letting the company?s focus on the product overwhelm its awareness of the constantly evolving wants and needs of the customer.
• Similarly, no matter how successful a past strategy has been, tailoring a branding strategy to the changing wants of the customer.
• Fostering a relationship of trust and reliability with your customers despite constant attempts at innovation; maintaining their faith in your brand and in the quality of your products or services.

Understanding and Utilizing Social Media

• Understanding the multifaceted functionality of social media.
• Getting past the basics (i.e., Facebook pages, “likes.”)
• Using social media to tell a story and emotionally connect with customers.
• Building brand loyalty through personal connections.
• Bridging the disconnect between what marketers think consumers want and what consumers expect.
• Unique offers, tailored customer experiences, social experiences.
• Fully integrating social media into a company?s marketing strategies.

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Shannon Coakley
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0043
scoakley@argyleforum.com

The Changing Role of the CMO

Argyle Executive Forum’s Corporate Development Membership currently represents the deal-making and strategy leadership from over 1000 mid cap (annual revenue $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/6/2012)

Cross-Border Deal-Making:  Goals, Strategies and Challenges

• Key areas of global expansion:  What makes those regions so attractive?
• How does your use of outside consultants differ internationally vs. domestically?
• What are some of your experiences using local partners through JVs?
• How do you approach state or compliance risks? What are some of the cultural differences you’ve encountered that have become risk factors?

De-merger Trends in 2012

• A look at the key drivers of de-merger activity, and the reality of divestitures/de-mergers as a growth strategy.
• What are the real advantages to spinning off existing businesses? Where is the value?
• Deciding when and how:  A look at the decision making and planning process for spinning out. Who drives the decision internally?

Unconventional M&A:  New Approaches to Deal Structures in the Current Environment

• A look at joint ventures:  Understanding what goals can be achieved through a JV, best practices for developing solid, long-term partnerships, and anticipating challenges.
• Strategic alliances:  What does that really mean and what purpose can these alliances serve?
• How do you measure the success of non-traditional deals?
• What are the key drivers/influences for considering an alternative deal structure or type? Regional? Economic?

Market Overview:  A Look at Global Economic Trends and their Effect on Deal Activity

• Overview of key economic trends that will affect M&A activity over the next 12 months.
• A look at valuations in the current environment.
• In what industries and markets do you anticipate the most M&A activity?
• Will the growth and deal volume experienced in 2011 carry through 2012?

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Mina Chan
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0111
mchan@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Customer Care Membership currently represents the customer care leadership from over 850 mid cap (revenue between $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/6/2012)

Controlling the Consumer Revolution:  Methods to Create Great Customer Experiences

Companies that interact daily with consumers face major issues surrounding expectations, consumer entitlement and limitless options.  It is imperative that organizations deliver top-quality experiences throughout the customer lifecycle in order to gain a competitive advantage and loyalty, which in the end drives revenue.

• Explore the experiences that matter most throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Understand the key steps needed to reduce costs and improve customer experiences.
• How to implement strategies in order to measure your contact center’s success.

How Social Media is Paving the Way for the Future of Customer Service and Contact Centers

Social media is changing the way customer relationship managers do business.  YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc., have taken the CRM world by storm and now it is a business norm to interact with customers in real time utilizing these modern technologies.

• How are social media outlets changing the customer experience and creating a modern-day call center?
• How has social media improved client retention, customer service and first-call resolution?
• With the help of social media, what is the future of call centers, and how are organizations preparing for the challenges and changes so that they can ensure continued success?
• Utilizing social media to enable customers to feel ownership over an organization’s service or product.

The Future of Customer Care:  Emerging Trends and Technologies

One of the most difficult challenges for customer contact center executives is keeping up with current market trends, product improvements and, most importantly, new technologies. At the same time, being able to envision the future in order to gain a step on the competition is considered one of the most vital aspects of business.

• What does the future hold for customer care?  What are key new technologies and trends? (fix line spacing)
• Examine the growth and utilization of the home agent model.
• What does the future hold for outbound customer service and care?

Making the Call Center a Pivotal Contributor to Corporate Success

The old saying, “The customer is always right,” is more important than ever in a competitive and difficult economy. Customer loyalty and satisfaction are key components to any organization’s success and bottom line.

• Benchmark some of the vital tactics and tools organizations use in order to strengthen their customer satisfaction metrics.
• How to partner with different sides of the business (sales, finance, marketing, etc.) to get the needed support for a valuable call center.
• How to measure the ROI of your call center’s success by making the center synchronized with the voice of the customer.

Doing More with Less – Successfully Preserving your Customers in a Down Economy by Working Smarter

With the economic downturn came a substantial loss of budget and fewer employees to handle tasks.  However, just because the economy hit hard times does not mean that a company needs to start over or reduce levels of services.  By utilizing smarter practices and new technologies organizations can come out ahead.

• What are the key steps for succeeding when there are fewer resources to handle the overwhelming responsibilities?
• What are some of the key investments that need to be made in difficult economic times to retain customers?

Explore how new technology can be used to reduce costs and manage your staff more efficiently to keep them on track.

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership, 
please contact:

Scott Robbin
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-1013
srobbin@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Endowments, Foundations, and Pension Funds Membership currently represents over 1,500 senior investment professionals from medium (AUM between $500m – $1b) and large (AUM greater than $1b) institutional investors, including endowments, foundations, pension funds, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and institutional investment consultants.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3.8.2012)

Discussion on Manager Outlooks and Due Diligence:

• Who should be out there conducting manager due diligence? Consultants or CIOs?
• In addition to manager due diligence, what should be best practices in assessing consultants?
• Thoughts on investing with Emerging Managers over the more established players.
• Getting access to larger funds – how can smaller investors get their toe in the door?
• Are macro or niche strategies more attractive in the current environment?

New Outlooks on Emerging Markets:

• Are even the most developed EM countries (e.g. China, LatAm) too risky for institutional investors or do they offer attractive opportunities/returns?
• Thoughts on what the underlying value proposition/rationale is for investing in emerging or frontier markets?
• What kinds of vehicles have you used, or would you consider using to access Emerging Markets?
• Do you consider investments on the geographical/regional basis or at the sector/underlying holding level primarily?
• Within EM do you think debt or equity is a more interesting/profitable bet?
• How closely do you think the global markets are correlated? What kinds of trends do you look for?
• Are EM investments limited to larger investment offices that have the capacity to travel to conduct due diligence, or can smaller offices access that market as well?
• Thoughts on more niche/frontier markets – are they worth the focus/risk?

Discussion around Asset Allocation and Portfolio Policy:

• Thoughts on what it means to have a diversified portfolio, and using asset allocation to respond to the current inflationary environment.
• How do you monitor liquidity in your portfolio, and how have you views on acceptable levels of liquidity changed?
• Outlooks on fixed income and equities – finding the real value.
• How does taking a long-term vs. short term view affect your policies and asset allocations?
• Discussion around how past asset allocation ‘fads’ have fared to the present day.
• Thoughts on the value of the outsourced CIO role for smaller funds?

Macro-Outlooks on Market Trends and Their Affect on Portfolios:

• How does macroeconomic research play a role in your investment process or is your approach more opportunity specific?
• What framework do you apply in your assessment of investment opportunities for possible inclusion in your portfolio: time horizon, return objective, risk level?
• Discussion around the uptick in interest in commodities/real assets in light of concerns around impending inflationary environment.
• Outlooks on fiscal and monetary policies for the next 12 months and their effects on current/future investments.

A Look at the Role of Alternatives:

• What do you consider to be an ‘alternative’ investment: Underlying characteristics? Risks? Correlations?
• How do you view commodities/real assets for the next 12 months? Within that pool, where do you see the most value/opportunity (metals, agriculture, energy etc.)?
• What are the main benefits you see in hard assets vs. financial assets? What combination of allocations to either/both is most effective?
• Spotlight on current trends/outlooks for Private Equity, Hedge Funds and Real Estate.

Dealing with the Board/Governance Concerns:

• In a period of uncertainty, and with less available information, how are you negotiating the concerns of your boards? What are their biggest concerns when approving investment decisions?
• What perspectives/backgrounds do you find most valuable on an investment committee?
• What are best practices for managing a fund with a small investment office? Should you build out the office and hire an in-house CIO? Should you rely on the board, or consultants? Should you outsource?
• Have you considered or implemented any structural changes to position the Committee to be more nimble?

Taking an Opportunistic Approach to Investing in an Uncertain Environment:

• Best practices for leveraging ongoing uncertainty in the marketplace using a bottom up approach to managers / investment decisions.
• Where should investors be looking for unconventional opportunities? What kinds of resources are most effective in that search?
• How do you adjust, manage and monitor your portfolio risk to deal with more opportunistic investments?
• What other portfolio policy changes can/should be made to balance a riskier outlook/approach?

Best Practices in Risk Management:

• Outlooks on LDI strategies and best practices in timing/implementation.
• How do you track risk within your portfolio? Has this changed since 2008/9? Can portfolios be managed and monitored on an integrated systems basis or does by asset analysis provide a better view?
• How does risk parity stack up as a portfolio management strategy?
• Institutional investors are often considered slow reactors to market changes. Do you think that’s a fair assessment, or is it your fiduciary responsibility to wait and see rather than take on new risks?

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Lily Robertson
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-2034
lrobertson@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s General Counsel Membership currently represents the legal leadership from over 1000 mid cap (revenue between $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/6/2012)

The General Counsel as a Strategic Business Partner

• Examining the two types of General Counsel:  Reactive versus proactive, and the benefits/reasons for each.
• Understanding the role of the General Counsel in advancing a corporation’s global objectives.
• Maximizing and aligning the value of the legal department and function with the overall goals of the company.
• Creating significant value and advancing strategy through the legal function of the company.
• A look at the relationship between the General Counsel and other C-level executives.

General Counsels and Talent Management

• Best practices for building an in-house team.
• Building rewarding careers for in-house lawyers through rewards and diversity.
• How to obtain and retain talent in a competitive market.
• Learning how to speak the business language, positioning law as a business objective and perspective.

Best Practices for Managing Outside Counsel

• Efficiently managing outside counsel and legal fees in a buyer’s market.
• Importance of unbundling large legal tasks.
• Creating ways to align in-house and outside counsel’s agendas.
• Examining what work to send to outside counsel versus keeping it in-house.
• A look at the value of alternative fees.

Building and Protecting Core Assets:  Extracting Value from Intellectual Property

• Finding ways to show the value of intellectual property to a company.
• Extracting value from intellectual property assets.
• Strategies for protecting your brand in a global marketplace.
• Managing IP and understanding the value of protecting it in all forms of media.

The General Counsel’s Role in M&A, Divestitures and Strategic Alliances

• Due diligence in evaluating and negotiating bad purchases.
• Examining the legal implications of cross-border transactions.
• Cost-benefit analysis of acquisitions.
• Protecting corporate reputation during growth periods.
• Planning ahead and seeing the implications of the acquisition to the structure and stance of the company.
• Creativity in M&A transactions:  Learning how to continue growth with less liquidity.

Global Compliance Best Practices in the Wake of Increased Anti-Corruption Enforcement

• Red flags to consider when designing effective compliance programs.
• Maintaining compliance with FCPA and other international anti-corruption statutes.
• What the FCPA means and how federal enforcement of the act has changed.

• How to effectively run a legal department in multiple countries.
• Managing regulation that is constantly changing and diversifying as issues and problems seem to converge.

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Melissa Quinn
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0022
mquinn@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Healthcare Membership currently represents the executive leadership from over 1000 mid cap (revenue between $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) healthcare organizations, and from investment firms that invest in the healthcare and life science sectors.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 5/10/2011)

Sector Focus- What’s Hot in the Healthcare Space?

• Investment in emerging markets- which emerging markets provide the best opportunities? What types of investments will see the most ROI in emerging markets over the next 12-24 months?
• Investment in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
  • How has the recent uptick in M&A within the sector created additional investment opportunities in pharma and biotech?
• Investing in hospitals and healthcare facilities
• Other hot sectors

 Opportunities and Challenges for Healthcare Investment Abroad

• As developing countries mature, they will require extensive healthcare development and investment. Thoughts on healthcare investment abroad?
• Best practices for investing in healthcare companies internationally- what you need to know before putting time and money into international investments
• Risk v. value of investing in healthcare internationally? What types of investments have the most risk? What do you think have the least? What types do you predict to have the most ROI?

 Accounting for the Impact of Healthcare Reform in Deal Making

• The Congress’ approval of Obama’s healthcare bill is expected to signal a wave of new opportunities for investments in the sector.
• What aspects of the healthcare bill will have the greatest impact on healthcare investment? Why?
• What new opportunities will be created by the widespread expansion of insurance coverage?
  • New opportunities in pharmaceuticals, hospitals and other direct to consumer sectors

 Strategic Considerations for Deal Makers in Today’s Healthcare Environment

• What criteria are and should be involved in the selection of a target?
  • What sub-sectors of healthcare do you anticipate seeing the most activity in over the next 12-24 months?
• Evaluating the value and risk of the investment- by what standards do you measure the value of your investment and what factors determine the calculation of risk?
  • Has your approach to due diligence changed over the past year? What factors have taken the fore front and what factors have taken a back seat when determining the value/risk assessment of a target company?
• Best practices for managing your retail investment to maximize ROI
• What are the drivers behind your firm’s strategy in 2011? How will that strategy differ in 2012? Why?

 The Private Equity Perspective on Healthcare Deals

• What are private equity investors looking for? What are they looking to avoid?
• Discussion on the bottom line- debt levels vs. ROI?
• Strategic partnerships and joint ventures within healthcare investment- new ways to capitalize on untraditional M&A

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Lauren T. Everhart, J.D.
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0046
leverhart@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Human Capital Membership currently represents the HR leadership from over 850 mid cap (revenue between $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/6/2012)

How HR Can Harness the Power of Technology   

• What are the key technology trends in HR?
• How can cloud computing elevate your HR organization and company?
• What are the best practices HR executives should follow when evaluating the cloud?
• How has your organization incorporated social media into your HR function?
• How can workforce analytics provide a greater competitive advantage?
• How is your organization moving toward more of a data-driven view of the workforce and workforce planning?
• Are you finding changes in the "typical" HR professional needing to be more comfortable with data, systems and analytical reviews?
• Do you believe this trend toward being more tech-savvy will help HR professionals secure more business influence with other executives?

Strategic Transformation at Companies Faced with Business-Model Disruptions

Today’s businesses must grapple with a variety of challenges to survive, much less prosper. While many of these are beyond their leaders’ control - whether due to economic, regulatory, political, technology, natural resource or disaster issues - companies that want to stay ahead of the competition often must change their business model. Effectively engaging and partnering with Human Capital Leadership can help executive management to:

• Align management and talent with the new strategy
• Change behavior to shape new capabilities throughout the organizational matrix
• Create the mindset and passion necessary to ensure successful strategy execution

Keeping Employees Engaged and Developing Future Leaders

Human Resources leaders understand that keeping employees engaged and developing their talent are crucial to the successful growth and improvement of an organization. 
Session topics include:

• How have you been able to identify professionals that you want to cultivate and grow over time?
• What are the business drivers for continually identifying and maintaining a talent pipeline?
• How do you balance the short-terms needs of the organization, especially in light of the volatile economy, with the long-term need to develop and cultivate future leaders?
• How do you determine the best practices for determining the successes and failures of these approaches? What are lessons learned from each?

The Changing Role of HR

• Understanding the changing role of the modern-day HR professional.  
• How has the role changed in the past couple of years? How are HR professionals becoming a vital component for company innovation and growth?
• What are some of the best practices and lessons learned for succeeding in a tough economic environment?
• Recruiting strategies that have and haven’t worked with the changing economy.
• What are some of the toughest challenges HR professionals face?

Workplace Evolution:  Bridging the Generational Divide

With more generations in the workplace than ever before, it’s vital for employers to be aware of how the needs of different age groups affect workplace productivity, loyalty and satisfaction. By understanding what the various subsets of employees prioritize, it becomes easier to foster a more productive working environment and develop an impactful benefits portfolio that reaches across the generational chasm.

• What workplace issues are most important to young, middle-aged, and older employees, respectively?
• How do challenges across different age groups impact productivity and engagement in the workplace?
• What work-life solutions and strategies are available to address these challenges?
• How can employers foster loyalty and retain talent by understanding the needs of different generations?

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Shannon Coakley
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0043
scoakley@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Investment Management Membership currently represents over 1000 investment professionals from mid market (AUM between $500m – $1b) and large market (AUM greater than $1b) hedge funds, fund of funds, and other investment management firms.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 8/12/2010)

The Global Marketplace 

• How will globalization affect investment firms going forward? 
• What effects will the globalization of accounting standards have on the perception and valuation of companies? What sectors stand to be most negatively affected? 
• The role of emerging markets and frontier markets for investors: How do these compare with developed markets? 
• What specific regions and sectors are the most promising?

A New Paradigm of Asset Allocation 

• A look at the perceived failure of diversification. What are the new approaches to portfolio construction and how viable are they as alternatives? Can this "failure" be attributed to the circumstances of a specific time frame or does it reflect generally on previously established diversification strategies?
• Allocating to "factors" rather than asset classes: Looking at factor exposures and different underlying basic risks in the economy and ensuring optimal exposure to all those, as well as the use/need for specialized indices
• Structuring asset allocations and portfolios to be prepared for inflation or re-flation: Does an inflationary environment necessarily signal imminent inflation?

Role of the Government Going Forward

• Assessing the impact of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill on investment managers and the markets
• What to expect from The Fed: How does interest-rate policy influence investors? What are the implications for retraction of liquidity in the marketplace?
• What will happen to the bond market without government demands?
• How will new bank regulations affect the availability of capital for fund managers?

Risk Management

• In the current market, where assumption on return is lower, should greater risk be taken on to compensate for lower returns?
• How to manage risks inherent with different managers/investors
• Risk allocation as opposed to dollar allocation, and its relationship to risk parity
• Best practices in effectively using benchmarking to manage risk

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Lily Robertson
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-2034
lrobertson@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Membership currently represents the executive leadership from approximately 500 mid cap (annual revenue $500m – $1b) and large cap (greater than $1b) pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporations as well as the founders and managing partners of investment firms that focus on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/6/2012)

The Future of R&D

• New business and financing models for innovation.
• Using partnerships to access early stage research and opportunities.
• Sharing the risks and costs of new drug development.
• Partnering with academia.
• Open innovation.

IP Considerations

• The America Invents Act:  What this means for deal-making in the life science sector.
• Changes to licensing and the performance of due diligence.
• The impact of this on business development strategies.
• Identifying IP red flags that impact life science transactions.

Deal Making in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

• Current market information and deal drivers.
• Recent trends in deal structuring.
• The incorporation of risk-sharing intro(into?) transactions.
• Determining which deal structure will lead to the greatest return on investment.
• Key components to consider in valuing a life science asset.

Emerging Markets 

• Which emerging countries are you looking to for international deals?
• New patent populations.
• Becoming a partner in local healthcare solutions.
• Implications of the shift to low-cost, high-volume business in emerging markets.

A Discussion on Generics

• Sustainability of the generics industry as a whole.
• Prospect and performance of biosimilars.
• Barriers to and opportunities for market adoption.
• Generics and healthcare reform.

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership, please contact:

Lauren T. Everhart, J.D.
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0046
leverhart@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Private Equity Membership currently represents over 1000 investment professionals from mid market (AUM between $500m – $1b) and large market (AUM greater than $1b) LBO and growth capital firms.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 3/13/2012)

"Outlook on the Deal Environment"

• How has private equity changed in the last three years? What has been the most significant altering factor?
• Thoughts on optimum deal and fund size in the current environment. Are the big funds with generalist mandates losing ground?
• Notable trends in M&A and lending market that affect private equity and thoughts on struggling IPO market.
• When it comes to deal origination and increased competition around deals, how can managers get an edge? Is the competition for deals driving prices to unrealistic levels? 
• What are the most significant changes in deal-structure in light of the recession? What kind of - leverage multiples make sense in this economy?

"Investment Opportunities and Sectors of Interest in 2011"

• Are you seeing a trend towards more focused/niche investing in PE, rather than towards generalist funds?
• Sector Perspectives on the energy, infrastructure, and real estate markets. What key trends are you seeing in your respective industries?
• Discussion around trends in real assets: Agriculture, Timber and Oil & Gas. 
• Is distressed investing still a viable strategy in 2011 or did that window close last year?

Regulatory & Political Environment: Effect on Investors"

• What should you be keeping an eye on in an election year as it relates to fund-raising and investing?
• How do you try to keep abreast of new/upcoming regulations? What kind of advice or consultation do you look for?/Spotlight on the enterprise value tax provision and it’s affect on private equity in 2012. 
• For investors in financial services, obviously it’s a challenging outlook, but what kinds of opportunities have been presented as well?
• What are the real implications of the ongoing low interest rate environment? What kinds of changes have you made to your own funds or deal-structures as result?

"Private Equity Beyond the US"

• Thoughts on the European crisis: what will be the main ramifications for 2012?
• What geographical areas will be active in the next couple of years? Are Brazil and China the 'ones to watch'?
• Best practices for sourcing deals outside the US. What are the most effective ways to conduct due diligence? What are some of the key operating and regulatory challenges to investing in emerging markets?
• How do you complete a successful exit outside the US?
• Can non-US companies be an effective add-on strategy to grow existing portfolio companies?
• Outlooks on frontier markets trends to be aware of.

"LP Outlook and Fund-Raising Environment"

• Discussion around the changed relationship between both existing and new investors
• What are the best practices for creating maximum transparency and alignment of interests with LPs?
• From an investor stand-point, how does PE sit relative to other asset classes? Are illiquidity, and long lock-ups still the biggest concern?
• How important is succession planning from the LP standpoint? Best practices for accessing talent.
• What kinds of pressures are pensions and endowments really under when considering alternative investments, especially PE?
• Are LPs gravitating towards bigger brand names or are investors looking to smaller and niche managers for returns?

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Elizabeth Cooke
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 380-1250
ecooke@argyleforum.com

Argyle Executive Forum’s Retail/CPG Membership currently represents the executive leadership from over 1000 mid cap (revenue between $500m – $1b) and large cap (revenue greater than $1b) retail and CPG organizations.

Topic imperatives the membership is currently discussing include but are not limited to:
(Last Updated 5/10/2011)

Leadership Speaks- Perspectives from Senior Operating Executives

• Top management and board issues facing the leadership of retail
• Driving performance through effective leadership
• Consumer confidence and trust- what do retailers need to do to rebuild and maintain the trust of their buyers
• Supply chain and inventory concerns- how can retailers find the right balance of inventory going forward and fix the supply chain issues resulting from the recession?
• As the economy picks up, where should retailers be cutting costs and where should they be deploying capital?

Understanding and Meeting the Demands of the Changing Consumer

• Insights into the latest thinking on customer behavior, engagement and retention- how have your customers changed?
• Building strategies for an era of post-recession purchasing restraint
• Will the move to value retailing last beyond the recovery? How should retailers consider the mix of value lines and premium?
• The new customer experience- thinking “beginning to end” and understanding what the new consumer needs at every stage

Deal Making in Retail and Consumer Products

• Looking at transaction trends over the last year- how have valuations and deal terms changed?
• What retail sectors look attractive from an investment standpoint? Where do you see the most growth potential in the future?
• Best practices for managing your retail investment to maximize ROI
• Structuring the deal- what deal structures have worked in the past and what deal structures do you anticipate working in the future? How has the changing retail landscape changed your approach to deals? 
• The future role of PE in Retail
• Strategic buyer perspective and role in future retail investments

The Big Debate- What is the Future of Retail?

• Impact of and increasing relevance of technology to shoppers
• The increasing role of e-commerce and internet retailing
• Multi-channel retailing
• The future of social media as it relates to retail
• Changing attitudes towards sustainability and “green” purchases- how retailers should think about incorporating

For more information on membership activities and benefits, as well as to apply for membership,
please contact:

Lauren T. Everhart, J.D.
Argyle Executive Forum
Phone: (646) 839-0046
leverhart@argyleforum.com