David Kramer and Richard Earnest joined our meeting to talk about the Chairmen’s Roundtable (CRT), a non-profit, all-volunteer organization composed largely of retired CEOs who have a strong desire to give back to the San Diego business community.  CRT was founded in 1997 to help San Diego compete with Silicon Valley as a small business incubator. As a free resource, CRT has counseled over 400 businesses. CEOs of eligible companies are often referred by CRT sponsors, which include banks, insurance companies, and accounting firms that pay dues to defray CRT operating expenses. To be eligible for CRT help, companies should have: i) annual revenues above $2 million; ii) >5 employees; and iii) high ethical standards. They should also be privately held and lack a Board of Directors. Moreover, the company’s CEO must be coachable and receptive to mentoring. CEOs that agree to take CRT help are assigned a team of two mentors- matched to the needs of the company- who work with the CEO for 6-8 months. Richard noted that most CEOs seek CRT mentorship when their company is at a crossroads, be it the need to grow, or a transition to new leadership. CRT mentors help client CEOs articulate their business goals, develop growth strategies, and identify their strengths and weaknesses.  Mentors are typically former CEOs themselves or were presidents of large divisions at major corporations. David said that, above all, mentors must have the time and desire to help young businesses succeed.   
 
Richard Earnest (CRT Chair) is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (where he played football with Roger Staubach) and a former fighter pilot. In addition to his mentoring work with CRT, he is CEO of iHearU, which produces an app designed to allow users to find locations that have noise levels to suit a given situation, e.g., quiet chat to discuss business or a loud bar.
 
David Kramer (CRT Vice Chair of Marketing) graduated from Yale University and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was CFO for both Gen-Probe (now part of Hologic) and Anadys Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Roche). He currently is an outsource CFO and has worked with several emerging companies in San Diego.