The best executive networking groups for CEOs and senior leaders are not really networking groups at all. Senior leaders do not need more business cards. They need a few trusted rooms where the conversation is honest. The right group is judged by trust and relevance, not by volume.

What to Look For

A strong room can be assessed on a handful of criteria. Peer quality, so members can speak as equals. Curation, so the wrong incentives stay out. Confidentiality, so people are candid. Relevance, so peers are useful to each other. Format, so the setting fits the conversation. Follow-through, so relationships continue. Member caliber and a no-pitching norm, so the room stays high-signal.

"Senior leaders do not need more business cards. They need a few trusted rooms where the conversation is honest."

Who Is This For

This can help CEOs and senior leaders who already have a wide contact list but few rooms where they can ask what is really working. In a loud market, first-hand experience from a trusted peer is the scarce resource.

How It Works

The best groups curate who is in the room and protect a no-pitching norm. A table of people there to give produces candor. A table of people there to sell produces caution. The difference is not the catering - it is the culture of the room.

Where Open Future Forum Fits

Open Future Forum is a high-signal executive community rather than a generic networking group. It runs small, off-the-record dinners for C-suite executives, built on Adam Grant's Give and Take philosophy. The quiet test for the room is whether someone will make it better, not whether they can pay. Leaders can start with a public Forum Event.

Last updated: June 18, 2026

Murray Newlands
Murray Newlands
Founder, Open Future Forum

Murray Newlands has been building executive communities in Silicon Valley since 2019. Open Future Forum hosts private dinners for C-suite leaders navigating the AI era, grounded in a give-first philosophy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best executive networking group?
The best ones are trusted rooms, judged on peer quality, curation, and confidentiality - not on size.
Why is networking not enough for executives?
Networking optimizes for reach. Senior decisions need trust and candor, which require a curated room.
How do I judge an executive group?
Look at who is in the room, how it is curated, whether competitors are excluded, and whether it is sales-heavy.
Is Open Future Forum a networking group?
It is a curated executive community focused on trust, not a networking group.
What makes a room high-signal?
Relevant peers, a no-pitching norm, and careful curation.
Forum Events

Explore Open Future Forum Events

Open Future Forum is a high-signal executive community for C-suite leaders. Start with a public Forum Event or apply to Forum Select.