ACG Arizona March 2021 Cup of Coffee Recap

In case you missed it, ACG Arizona held a members-only “Cup of Coffee” virtual event featuring ACG Global’s President & CEO Tom Bohn, CAE, MBA. Our Cup of Coffee events is designed to provide valuable information in a concise, interactive manner. Tom was gracious enough to speak with the Arizona chapter about new initiatives that are taking place that will benefit all ACG members, in addition to sharing some of the challenges and new opportunities created in the past year. We’ve highlighted a few key points that were discussed.

2020 Brought New Challenges and New Opportunities

When the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting the business world, ACG was tasked with adjusting its operations to navigate through the health crisis. The organization was almost entirely based on in-person networking and had to figure out how to continue to support its members and chapters during these uncertain times.

Additionally, the Black Lives Matter movement brought greater awareness to diversity and inclusivity in the workforce. In response, ACG oversaw new initiatives to grow a diverse membership base and become more involved in promoting corporate inclusivity. 

What ACG Global Has Accomplished

ACG Access

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bohn and the ACG leadership team reevaluated how the organization should proceed. The organization had to adapt to the virtual world by adopting a platform that allowed people to connect and share information in a live setting. The organization looked into 50 different options and chose one — ACG Access.

ACG Access has been a huge success for the organization by providing chapters the ability to host their own virtual events. It’s allowed users to have a live in-person experience without actually being at a conference. ACG Access continues to provide its users with networking opportunities and allow individuals the ability to have meetings in a secure online meeting room.

During the next phase of ACG Access, the organization is looking to enhance the program by incorporating new innovative technology, including artificial intelligence. With AI, ACG Access will be able to comb through data and information from web sources to make introductions and connections with people it believes would be best served by networking with other ACG members.  

One ACG

From a cultural perspective, Bohn said that ACG in the past had almost a “them and us” type of relationship between Global and ACG chapters. One of the things that Bohn said they focused on was how to change that culture. The idea of One ACG stemmed from the belief that there is no separation between chapters and Global; the chapter’s success and Global’s success are one and the same. Additionally, the program promoted collaboration between chapters to create new opportunities for networking and content sharing. 

Promote Diversity and Inclusivity

In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Bohn said ACG is working towards initiatives to promote diversity and inclusivity. By using key performance indicators (KPIs) and other measures, the organization promotes a diverse and inclusive membership base. Bohn said ACG is taking the right steps in providing a diverse space of professionals with different backgrounds. 

Expanding Intergrowth

As many ACG members know, Intergrowth is a critical part of ACG’s world. ACG will continue to utilize it as a dealmaking gathering. However, Bohn said the organization will also use it as a “governance pilgrimage,” where all chapters and their leaders will gather on an annual basis to discuss ways to improve ACG on the local and Global level. Expanding Intergrowth will help make the organization less about chapters and Global and more about its members.

New Benefits for Members

During the Cup of Coffee webinar, Bohn mentioned how ACG needs to provide better opportunities for people with different professional backgrounds. As a result, the organization is working towards the goal of being able to do mass customization in order to meet professionals’ needs. To achieve this, ACG will implement new member segments that focus on different roles and each month will include a webinar focused on that specific topic. 

In addition to Middle Market Growth magazine, ACG will be launching Middle Market Operations magazine that will focus on corporate leadership positions and running day-to-day middle-market businesses. The organization has also started Growth TV, where viewers can watch one-on-one interviews with industry professionals.

ACG has also started an MMP (Middle Market Professional) designation to provide young professionals with in-depth education to later become certified. 

Watch the Replay 

Stay Connected with ACG Arizona

We encourage ACG members to stay connected with what’s going on in the organization. A great way to stay on top of what’s happening is by attending ACG’s monthly events. Visit our website to see what’s coming up!