Vistage Executive Summit, San Antonio, April 2025

On April 22, 2025, Vistage members from across the San Antonio region gathered at the Norris Conference Center on Northwest Loop 410 for a full day built around one premise: the climb is not a solo journey.

The day ran from 7:15 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. and covered ground that matters to CEOs right now, starting with the economic landscape. Vistage VP of Research Anne Petrik served as emcee, sharing the latest data from the Vistage CEO Confidence Index throughout the day and providing context on where CEO sentiment stands heading into the second half of the year.

The session that hit hardest came from ITR Economics. Their forward-looking analysis of the macro environment was not a comfortable listen, and that was exactly the point. ITR has one of the strongest track records in economic forecasting, and what they brought to the room was not a reason to panic, but it was absolutely a reason to pay attention. The leaders in that room who were taking notes and thinking about their planning cycles left with a significant advantage over those who were not. If you have not yet heard ITR’s outlook and adjusted your strategy accordingly, that is a gap worth closing.

The agenda also covered the economic forecast with an industry-by-industry look at where 2025 is heading, including a clear-eyed view of international trade, interest rates, inflation, and consumer and business-to-business activity. The AI and automation session cut through the noise for members tired of ChatGPT hype, focusing instead on real implementation with case studies showing actual financial impact. The financial strategy session from Preferred CFO focused on forward-facing forecasting tools, and the succession planning session surfaced a number every business owner should know: less than 25% of businesses have a formal succession plan, and over 75% of owners regret selling within the first year.

The day also included the regional Member Excellence Awards, recognizing standout Vistage members from across the San Antonio community.

For our group, days like this are a reminder that the work we do monthly in the room is connected to something much larger. Over 45,000 CEOs worldwide are asking the same hard questions and holding each other accountable to better answers.