In 2010 Joel was asked to be Chairman of the Austin Technology Council, an industry association of over 300 technology companies in the central Texas area. Joel worked actively with the Executive Director to reinvigorate the organization and begin to grow the membership. ATC is the oldest and largest tech industry organization in Central Texas. Upon his departure in 2014 Joel was named Chairman Emeritus.

The CEO Tightrope

No CEO can find a point of balance and then stand still – that’s not even possible on a tightrope. The expectation is that the business must always move forward.

The American CEO walks a tightrope daily…many times blindfold and without a net. The job of balancing the often-competing interests of a company’s constituents is so challenging that the average lifespan of a newly minted CEO is around five years. Why is it that individuals who have been wildly successful at every other position in their career often fail when they get to the CEO chair?