Written by Scott Lewis

This past Saturday, I attended a celebration of the life of Loren Carlson, founder of CEO Roundtable, alongside a dozen past and present CEO Roundtable members, as well as countless family and friends. It was a powerful reminder of the impact Loren had on so many lives.

Loren started The CEO Roundtable in 1996 with a simple yet profound belief: CEOs need a space where they can speak openly, share challenges, and grow together. He dedicated his career to fostering an environment where leaders could learn, reflect, and build better businesses—and better lives. 

I had the privilege of taking over CEO Roundtable from Loren eight years ago, and I’ll never forget our first real conversation about the business. I came in focused on the numbers; what did the market look like, where was the revenue, I asked, “What’s the business proposition here?”  Loren’s response caught me off guard:

“Business proposition? Well, we help people… and sometimes they pay us.”

I laughed and said, “Loren, that sounds like a church.” And as soon as the words left my mouth, I realized—that’s exactly what it was. CEO Roundtable wasn’t just a business; it was a mission.

We had several sessions to try to piece together historical and projected revenue, expenses, quality of income, and the other metrics I’d been trained to worry about.  Every time I pushed for numbers, Loren redirected the conversation to each individual member, their challenges, their journeys, their growth.  Frustrated, at one point, I even said something like, “I don’t care about the people, I just want to know about the business.” That almost ended the meeting right then and there. Loren nearly walked away, convinced I wasn’t the right person to take over.

That moment stuck with me. The conversation forced me to step back and reflect. Was this a mismatch? Or was this an opportunity to learn something deeper about leadership?  I chose it to be the latter and I have since wished I’d had some of Loren’s wisdom earlier in my career.

Loren’s leadership philosophy was rooted in accountability, curiosity, and trust. He understood that the best CEOs don’t lead from behind closed doors but instead embrace transparency and shared wisdom. He once said, “I founded CEO Roundtable with the mission to increase the value of the members’ companies and to enrich the quality of their lives.”  Even after his retirement in 2018, his impact remained deeply woven into the DNA of CEO Roundtable.

Spending time with fellow CEO Roundtable members on Saturday, some who have been part of this community for decades, was a reminder of how deeply Loren’s influence runs. His presence in a room was unmistakable, his questions thought-provoking, his insights razor-sharp, and his encouragement unwavering.I left the service reflecting on how grateful I am to be part of something larger than just a business. We honor Loren’s legacy by carrying forward the values he instilled in us, by showing up for each other, sharing openly, and leading with integrity. That was always his focus, helping people build not just better businesses, but better lives.