Hollis was the first senior manager hired by GSG Financial in 2005.  Over the past 11 years, she has contributed greatly to growing the organization as well as managing day to day operations to ensure the stability and development of GSG Financial.  She is manages with a hands on approach and willingness to get involved in all areas of the business. Her drive and multidimensional capabilities make her an ideal member for the Vistage NYC Key Executive group.

When asked about her decision to join Vistage, she replied,

“I decided to join Vistage because one of the major challenges I was facing was not having other managers in my organization to troubleshoot and use as a sounding board.  Vistage provides me with an opportunity to interact with other executives, get advice, and learn something from the speakers. I think I benefit the most from a having a peer group to go to for advice in a trusted setting.   I have been a member for about 8 months and I believe that I have become a better manager as a result.”

LGI has a culture of Vistage membership and CEO and owner, Mark Laufer, highly encourages his employees to participate in the culture of peer collaboration and excellence. The Vistage Key Executive Group facilitates an exchange of peer perspective and expert insights that provide members with the knowledge, strategic thinking and confidence to help each one play an even stronger supporting role in their company’s future.

With over twenty-two years of experience in the industry and as a registered CPA, John joined LGI in November of 2015. John can already tell that, “joining Vistage will give me access to valuable resources that I could not get anywhere else.”
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Elana has been in the commercial lending space for the last ten years and has been a member of Vistage NYC’s Trusted Advisor group since 2013.

Vistage Trusted Advisors not only help their peers but are also a resource for Vistage CEOs in New York who may want a second opinion or to to gain fresh perspectives, solve problems, and focus on opportunities. Other members have recognized Elana for her professionalism and being an exceptional advocate for her clients.

NYC Vistage Trusted and CPA, Steven Nicokiris of Mayer Hoffman, McCann, said of Elana that, “there’s just nobody that has the sincerity and the dedication that she has to get deals done.”

Thank you, Elana!

Eric is an expert on a wide variety of finance related issues, with a strong understanding of complex industrial companies transferable across industries. After graduating from Tuft University and then Columbia Business School in 1995, he has spent the last twenty years working in a wide variety of finance related positions—from equity analyst, to portfolio manager, to financial advisor, to CFO, and now as SVP, Senior Advisor. This professional diversity within the domain of finance has equipped him to truly understand the needs of NYC CEO’s.

When asked what he hopes to contribute to other NYC Vistage members, he responded, “I’ve seen a lot of different industries and a lot of different businesses. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work. I look forward to contributing my business sense and professional experience.”

Eric’s financial perspective will definitely be a benefit to all of our group members. Welcome to the group!

municipal permit expediting

Dominic’s business acumen (an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business) and experience with companies like Morgan Stanley will provide a valuable perspective in the CEO group.
When asked what he hopes to gain from Vistage, he replied, “Peer collaboration and sharing of practical and proven methods and skills that help drive continuous personal and professional growth.”

It is with that commitment to excellence and expertise that Dominic is joining our CEO advisory peer group. We are thrilled to have Dominic as a new member. His outstanding financial service skills will be an essential contribution to our members.

David is a member of Vistage NYC CEO group. He manages MASS Communications information technology organization, plays a key role in formulating the company’s strategic direction, and is responsible for the oversight of all legal matters. He has more than seventeen years of Information Technology, Information Security, and Risk Management experience. Given his particular expertise and that the inclusion of a collaborative, group-oriented approach was so essential to the creation of MASS Communications, I followed up with David about his Vistage experience.

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Why did you decide to join Vistage?

I decided that I needed to join when I saw my partners’ excitement when they would return from their monthly Vistage meetings. There was such an incredible amount of knowledge that was gained from just that first session.

What is your most important take away to date?

That the problems we/I face running our company are not unique and that many businesses go through the same pains.  It’s become somewhat therapeutic to be in a room with other business owners and discuss openly challenges and to solicit feedback.

What value does Vistage provide for you?

Definitely the different outlook on my company’s challenges from others in different industries.  It’s great to hear how other companies are addressing similar challenges.  The speakers have also all been amazing.  I’ve been introduced to books and methodologies that were completely unknown to me prior to joining.

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Peer advisory groups are the best kept secret to an organization’s success. Learn more about the influence of peer groups in The Power of Peers, out March 22.

Congratulations Gil Fishman on Five Years of Vistage Trusted Advisor Service!

Gil is a risk architect and senior vice president for York International Agency. York is a risk management and full service Insurance agency that provides property/casualty, life, disability, health insurance benefits and personal insurance policies for business owners and individuals. York offers a unique audit process to identify and mitigate risk issues that improves balance sheet protection and helps lower insurance costs.  York was named #1 Best Practices independent insurance agency and winner of The Westchester Business Council’s 2015 Hall of Fame Award.

In the past five years as a Vistage NYC Trusted Advisor, Gil has been actively engaged and an essential member of the group. Gil is truly an expert in his field and goes beyond the call of duty in providing services. One member saved over a million dollars in health insurance as a result of Gil’s counsel. Many of my CEO members have thanked me for the advice he provides.

Gil reflected on the impact of Vistage in his life and offered insights for other CEO’s:

“CEO’s become better leaders of their respective companies when they have an independent group of peers to process their issues and challenges. Vistage offers this benefit and many others. Vistage has made me a better human being, both in private life and in my business world. It has taught me the art of listening better, along with the core value of exhibiting trust and honesty in all my affairs.”

Thank you, Gil. It has been a pleasure to work with such a thoughtful and accomplished member for the past five years.

Amy B. Goldsmith is a partner at Tarter, Krinsky & Drogin. She not only provides practical legal advice and connections to grow clients’ businesses, she also loves to discuss and write about intellectual property. Amy is director and officer of the New York Women’s Bar Association, a member of the American Bar Association and the International Trademark Association (INTA) and is on the Board of Directors of Savvy Ladies, a non-profit whose mission is to educate women to be financially savvy.

Her professional passion and a drive for excellence have marked Amy’s five years as a Vistage NYC Trusted Advisor. She participates with enthusiasm and consistency and embodies the Vistage value to have a passion for learning. It has been an honor to see such an accomplished member grow over the past five years and learn from her wisdom and experience.

Vistage Trusted Advisors not only help their peers but are also a resource for Vistage CEOs in New York who may want a second opinion or to to gain fresh perspectives, solve problems, and focus on opportunities.

Amy was generous enough to share some thoughts for other CEO’s in Vistage or those considering a CEO peer group:

“Regularly attending the meetings and triads is only the first step. The key lesson Vistage is teaching me is how to listen and focus. Listening and focusing helps me to incorporate the lessons I’m learning into my daily work and personal lives. My Vistage lessons include asking questions of my family, colleagues and clients: not only “are you satisfied?” but “what else may I do to help you? How can I improve our relationship?” Often, people are afraid to ask a question that may have a negative response. But Vistage has taught me to embrace that potential and learn from it.”

Thank you, Amy. We look forward to the next five years of growth and development!

Welcome Paula Marcus, the CEO of Ayers International Corp, a woman owned business that distributes specialty chemicals, who joined Vistage NYC in Manhattan. Ayers International has been servicing the needs of the chemical industry for over 31 years in the fields of oil industry, mining, hair coloring, water treatment, paints and coatings, personal care, contract manufacturers, waterproof resins, thickeners, cable blocking and non-wovens.

We are delighted to have Paula join our CEO advisory peer group. Her unique perspective will help all of our members did deeper on challenging and important issues chief executes face.

Vistage Key Executive member Shelley Xia, Director of Global Business Development and Strategic Planning at Laufer Group International celebrates her five year anniversary. Shelley was member number two and a founding member of this group of high-performing senior executives that meet monthly to become even better leaders. For over 60 years, Laufer Group International has established a complete logistics and service platform that helps customers improve the way they handle their logistics.

Congratulations Shelley!