• Local Event

    The Iowa CEO Summit - 2026

    The state of Iowa's only gathering designed exclusively for CEOs, Presidents, and Owners.

    Facilitator & Host
    Mike Kleis
    Partner & Forum Leader
    Featured Speaker
    Steve McClatchy
    Keynote Speaker

    The state of Iowa's only gathering designed exclusively for CEOs, Presidents, and Owners.

    Thursday, Nov 5, 2026
    • PST: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
    • CST: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
    • EST: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Register

REF Iowa

Leaders Powered by Collective Wisdom

REF is a global Organization of peer advisory boards for business leaders, powered by collective intelligence

At the core of REF lies the Forum Group, a carefully curated peer advisory board where top business leaders connect, challenge, and grow together.

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  • REF, formerly "Renaissance Executive Forums"

  • Founded 30 years ago in the USA

  • Global Membership of peer advisory boards for business leaders

  • Composed of over 3,000+ Members (2025) across 20 countries, in Latin America, USA, and Europe.

  • Forum Groups are the foundation of every REF membership—carefully curated peer advisory boards where 12-15 business executives from non-competing industries come together in a confidential, high-trust environment.

  • Meeting one morning each month, members connect, challenge each other, and grow together, gaining invaluable insights and strategic clarity to navigate leadership with confidence. 

  • Exclusive Peer Group – Each Forum consists of 12 to 15 business leaders from non-competing industries, ensuring diverse perspectives without conflicts of interest.

  • Monthly Meetings – Members meet one morning per month for structured, high-impact discussions.

  • Expert Facilitation – Every session is led by a certified REF Forum Leader, ensuring depth, structure, and meaningful takeaways.

  • A Safe & Trusted Space – Built on transparency, trust, and confidentiality, enabling open dialogue on real challenges.

  • Strategic Reflection & Growth – A dedicated space for reflection, planning, and high-level decision-making.

  • Collective Intelligence in Action – Members gain peer-to-peer feedback that unlocks new perspectives and drives transformation.

  • Make better strategic decisions

  • Maximize company value

  • Optimize leadership skills

  • Structure process of professional and personal growth

  • Global network of Business Leaders

  • Build authentic connections

  • Exclusive Peer Groups by invitation only – Confidential, high-level discussions with non-competing industry leaders. 

  • Proven Methodology – 30 years of refining a structure that accelerates personal, professional, and business evolution.

  • Global & Local Impact – A powerful community of leaders shaping the future of business.

  • Access to the wisdom that emerges from the Collective Intelligence of leaders with exceptional backgrounds.

YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY

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Forums evolve from Peer Advisory Boards into Circles of Trust

Meet our Team in REF Iowa

Mike Kleis
Partner & Forum Leader
About
Partner & Forum Leader
Mike Kleis
Iowa, Iowa
(641)204-1564
mkleis@ref.global
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About

Mike is the #1 Ranked executive peer group leader in Iowa. He has facilitated more peer group sessions than any other facilitator in the state.

Mike is a seasoned business leader and advisor with more than 35 years of broad business experience in Leadership Development, Strategy Development, Business Planning, Marketing, Sales/Distribution Management, Process Improvement, as well as Customer Service, Operations, and Product Development/Management. 

Known for his strategic approach and ability to connect the dots between business plans and results, Mike has served as a guide and confidant to hundreds of leaders. He has a knack for facilitating important discussions to uncover and solve the key challenges leaders and their teams face. 

Mike has worked closely, over the past 20+ years, advising more than 100 independent businesses ranging in size from $1M to $800M in annual revenue.

Brady Barthole
Forum Leader
About
Forum Leader
Brady Barthole
Iowa, Iowa
bbarthole@ref.global
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About

Brady is passionate about helping small-midsized businesses achieve their vision and goals. For the past 15 years, Brady has been a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and entrepreneurial operating system (EOS) Integrator.

Brady has helped grow and transform small-midsized businesses in a variety of industries. He has been a leader modernizing accounting processes, optimizing procedures, and cultivating team health and engagement, while ensuring alignment and accountability across the organization. In addition to Brady’s role as a CFO and Integrator, he also managed key client partnerships and developed strong relationships with business partners, banks, and suppliers.

With a solid foundation in public accounting with RSM McGladrey, Brady has strong accounting acumen and analytical skills that enable him to make sound business decisions and deliver value to stakeholders and business owners.

Lead a Forum

REF Purpose is

Empowering Business Leaders to be a positive force in the world by accelerating their personal and business evolution.

The value of every forum meeting lies in the enriching effect of members diversity of perspectives in giving and receiving feedback of their peers.
Requirements:

CEO, Owner, President, or equivalent.

Qualifying company criteria:

  • SMB: $5M-$100M in revenue or 20-350 employees.

  • Enterprise: More than $100M in revenue or more than 350 employees.

Explore Membership
The value of every forum meeting lies in the enriching effect of members diversity of perspectives in giving and receiving feedback of their peers.
Requirements:

C-Suite and upper management.

Qualifying company criteria:

  • Corporate: $30M-$300M in revenue.

  • Large Corporations: More than $300M in revenue.

APPLY TO MEMBERSHIP
This Membership is uniquely tailored and focused to meet the needs of Financial Executives.
Requirements:

CFOs, VPs of Finance, Financial Directors, or equivalent.

Qualifying company criteria:

  • More than $5M in revenue and more than 20 employees.

Explore Membership

REF's Testimonials

    • “It’s a great opportunity to learn from peers and build a trusted network of support, outside your own four walls, that you can always count on.”
      Jess Held
      Executive Vice President and COO, Lessing Flynn Advertising
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    • “If we are going to grow our business, we have to keep growing as individuals.”
      Chad Rubner
      CEO at Express Logistics, Inc.
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    • “To join a Forum Group was a no-brainer for me. I surround myself with successful people who can give me advice on crucial business decisions, and cheer me on.”
      Ron Petersen
      President of Summertime Farms
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    • “Having the opportunity to share my wrestles, my story, and my vulnerabilities with other business leaders has been a great value add to me as a business owner.”
      Adam Grubb
      Owner & CEO of Jerry's Homes
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    • “I found a group of individuals who were going through similar situations and can provide valuable insight to help me navigate my biggest business challenges.”
      Hiram Houghton
      President of LaunchIT Corp.
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    REF Iowa Articles

    Ready to reach the next level?

    Start a conversation with REF Iowa

    If you're interested to partner with us or lead a forum let's start a conversation!