Peer Groups — Strength in Numbers

“It’s kind of like having a board of directors outside of your company that knows your industry,” Castiglione says. “That’s one of the real strengths of this peer group and one of the reasons it’s sustained itself.”

The meetings are very structured. In addition to the host critique and analysis of financial results, each meeting has a theme. Breakout sessions have included CFO huddles, IT discussions and print production, and another is slated to include sales and marketing issues. This draws in various levels of member participation, not just top executives, which helps to keep the group fresh and interesting.