There's still another level of impact waiting for you

Introducing Rivendell - an extraordinary community of world-class CEOs and entrepreneurs.

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Being a mission-driven impactful CEO is one thing.
Being surrounded by them is another.

Most people believe CEOs to be at the top of their game. But the truth is it's just the start.

I coach ambitious CEOs leading fast-growing tech-driven businesses. My clients include the CEO of a $2 billion IT services group, the founder of a hugely successful telecoms new entrant, and the CEO of a scale-up tech ‘unicorn' that raised record-levels of financing. And when you’re in top leadership, there are some specific challenges that emerge:

  • You’ve never needed help. You’re one of the highest-achieving people you know, and it didn’t even seem that hard. You definitely don’t need support - but perhaps you do want an accelerator to get to your next level of impact
  • It can be lonely.  There are few people for you to turn to, and there are few people willing to speak the unvarnished truth to you.
  • You’re always in action. The Grey Zone is the pace set by a runner that is too fast for recovery and too slow for growth.  You’re making progress, but not creating space for real breakthroughs.
  • The cost can be high.  You’re creating incredible success at work, but you might be suffering at home or your health is taking a toll. 
  • There’s always a gap.  You create a powerful vision, but you’re always aware of the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

In other words, your default future is great, but you know you can create exponentially more impact on all of your stakeholders. The path to this preferred future involves stepping out of the day-to-day and engaging in high-value conversations and high-level relationships.

That's where the magic happens and this is why Rivendell is my #1 project.

--Richard Medcalf, Founder

Rivendell is an international community of leaders who are ready to change the world.

An extraordinary peer community of world-class entrepreneurs and CEOs, to help you think & lead at a whole new level and multiply your impact, within your business and upon the world.

Your mission: multiplying your impact 10-100 times

We are committed to helping each member create an order-of-magnitude increase in their positive impact - within your business and upon the world. You're already successful. We'll help you achieve the impossible and create the legacy of impact that you were born for.

DISCOVER THE 'RIVENDELL MANIFESTO'...
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Our commitment: we each make this community extraordinary

  • Present. We make this a priority: others are counting on us as much as we are counting on them.
  • Prepared. We come ready to bring our A-game, and to let others bring theirs.
  • Engaged.  We know the magic happens when we play full-out.
  • Supportive.  We create a safe & confidential space for each other to share anything they want.
  • Transparent. We will leave our ego at the door and bring the real issues we're facing.
  • Bold. We speak boldly to each other, and hold nothing back.
  • Receptive. We show up as learners, coachable and ready to be challenged.
  • Accountable. We are initiators. We take personal responsibility. We don't need to be reminded.

Rivendell is a transformative experience

Everyone in the group is extremely successful and at the top of their game. I could write a whole essay about my learning from those few hours that we had last week!

RIVENDELL PARTICIPANT

This is in another league from my YPO group!

RIVENDELL PARTICIPANT

What Rivendell provides

Be challenged and get fresh perspective on what matters

Your time is incredibly valuable: you don’t want fluff but you do want powerful input that makes a difference.

So the agenda is YOU. Our goal is that every hour spent with the Rivendell community creates powerful leverage and "ROI" in the rest of your work and life.

Grow game-changing, trusted
relationships

You’ll be part of an elite cohort of up to 10 top CEOs in relevant but non-competing sectors.

You’ll build deep relationships with high-achieving peers who share the same pressures and who really get you.

Just one of these relationships could open up a major, multi-million, opportunity.

Expand your vision

Our very best ideas come when we create time for space and reflection. We’ll help you think bigger and expand your sense of legacy.

What’s the impact that you want to make in the world, on your customers and on your team? What’s so important to you that you want to 10X or 100X it?

Become the leader who can achieve the impossible

Many CEO groups end up just addressing tactical or strategic business issues. We’ll help  with those, but the deeper question is: what’s your stretch to lead at a whole new level?

A key part of what we'll work on is the deep inner game. Who do you need to BE to create exponential impact in your world?

2023 programme

  • Four transformative events. Two incredible, memorable in-person retreats where you'll forge lifelong relationships with extraordinary leaders, and think more expansively than ever about your future. And two virtual half-day forums designed to expand your ambition, push your thinking and spot what you might be missing, and to work together on your top opportunities or challenges from any aspect of work or life.

Q1 RETREAT: A mission so big nothing will stop you (March)

Deepening and clarifying your purpose and your moonshot, so you become an unstoppable force.

Q2 FORUM: 'The President is on the line' (June)
Building 'impossible relationships' to accelerate and multiply your impact way beyond what you've already achieved.

Q3 RETREAT: Breaking through the upper limit (September)
Letting go of the stories and fears that are keeping you in your comfort zone, despite being the senior and impressive leader you are.

Q4 FORUM: Hell No, Hell Yes (December)
Making the difficult choices that will catapult you forward.

  • Four interim 'mastermind' calls, which is another chance to up-level your thinking and get focused input on your most pressing business & leadership issues. Each call will have a theme; there may be a speaker, some exercises to provoke your thinking, or some challenges to get you experimenting and learning live on the call. And yes, we'll bring in hot seat coaching and peer-group problem solving.
  • Between sessions, we'll stay connected through our private curated online group.
  • There'll be surprises.  Sometimes because we'll plan them, and sometimes because the community itself will decide what the most impactful activities will be.

Every member is hand picked

Part of the magic of Rivendell is the calibre of members. We carefully filter every applicant to create an extraordinary community of people who are successful but not complacent.

Current and former members include:

  • The CEO of a $2B IT managed services provider, with a footprint in over 20 countries and around 7000 employees.   A strategic and inspirational leader who has led a successful transformation and reorientation of the business towards next-generation services.
  • The Founder & Chairman of an international broadband services provider that has secured 9 figures of funding and is on their way to $1B revenues. A serial entrepreneur with two highly successful exits, nominated Entrepreneur of the Year by E&Y for 'growth and profitability others can only dream of', with a truly visionary leadership style and very clear social impact purpose.
  • CEO of a leading provider of circular supply chain solutions provider in sectors including telecoms, online retail, healthcare and FMCG.  Experienced as entrepreneur and executive in the USA and in Europe, he is a strong commercial leader in the B2B space.
  • US CEO of a global digital innovation firm and certified B-Corp delivering digital strategy, experience design and product development services. Since taking over the business she has doubled revenues, and is on a trajectory to add a further $100M in the next couple of years.
  • Operating partner at a major technology fund and recently CEO of a US-based software & media business with a worldwide reputation. A former Accenture partner and previously a direct report to Cisco's CEO, he was also a major contributor to the World Economic Forum telecommunications working group

The community is curated by Richard Medcalf

Richard Medcalf
Founder

Richard Medcalf describes himself as "what you get if you were to put a McKinsey consultant, a slightly unorthodox pastor and an entrepreneur into a blender".

Richard is the founder of Xquadrant and a trusted advisor to exceptional CEOs and entrepreneurs, and their leadership teams.

Richard has advised business owners and C-level execs for over 25 years. After a Masters Degree at Oxford University, where he came top in his year, Richard joined a premier strategy consultancy where he rose to become the youngest-ever Partner. He then spent 11 years at tech giant Cisco, firstly elevating Cisco’s relevance in the C-suite of its Fortune 100 customers before being selected for an elite team set up by Cisco’s CEO to catalyse strategic partnerships & new business models.

Richard founded Xquadrant in 2017, with the mission of helping elite leaders reinvent their 'success formula' and multiply their impact on their purpose, their people and their profit.

His personal 1:1 clients include CEOs of billion dollar companies, a Chairman nominated by EY as Entrepreneur of the Year, an Olympic medallist, and the founders of tech 'unicorns'. Richard also runs the high-end CEO community, Rivendell. His book, Making Time For Strategy, will be published in January 2023.

Richard is bi-national English/French, lives near Paris, and is happily married and the proud father of two. He's also a licensed lay minister in the Anglican Church, and has an insatiable love for spicy food and the electric guitar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Rivendell begin?

The community is live and running. We accept new cohorts twice per year, and often have a waiting list. Please speak to us about the next available opening.

Who are the other members?

Membership is confidential.  However, we can guarantee that every single member is a CEO, President or Founder of a significant tech/digital growth business.  More importantly, we interview each applicant to ensure a fit in terms of values and ambition.  Speak to us live about this.

Does my physical location matter?

This is a global group, and the international composition is important to us, as it brings diversity of perspective and unlocks new networks and opportunities. 

It's highly likely that calls will be convenient for Europe and the Americas - and inconvenient for the Far East and Australasia. However, we may run a second cohort to accommodate those time zones, so do reach out if you are inspired by the mission and values of the group.

Application process

Membership is by invitation or application only so that we maintain the "A+" calibre of participants.

We ask you to formally commit for a year at a time, but with mental three-year minimum commitment to the group. Whist you'll get great value in year one, our experience is that the impact of community compounds over time, and your results after three years will be exponentially greater.

There are under 5 places currently available for the next cohort. We want to make sure every single leader in the group is a great fit, because the programme is designed to be uncomfortable and challenging and to push you to your highest level. 

Rivendell is the place for you if...

  • You’re a founder, president of CEO of an established tech-driven growth business.
  • You refuse to be bound by linear thinking.
  • You thrive on challenges and you're hungry to multiply your impact and your legacy.
  • You’re seeking extraordinary, fascinating peers to inspire you and stretch your mind.
  • Despite all that, you don’t take yourself too seriously!

Rivendell is NOT the place for you if...

  • You’re only interested in financial rewards and recognition.
  • You’re not committed to being surrounded by people who can push your thinking.
  • You’re looking to passively consume, instead of actively engage.
  • You’re not committed to investing in your professional & personal development.
  • You’re not committed to creating at least a 10X return on your investment of time, money and attention.

We don’t admit direct competitors for obvious reasons.

In a nutshell, we seek world-class CEOs who ‘want’ this community but don’t ‘need’ it.

You should be a little intimidated by us. And we should be a little intimidated by you!

If you’re looking for something entirely ‘cookie cutter’, this isn’t for you.  This is a community to participate in and not a product to consume. However, if you’re ready to be challenged and stretched, and be part of something special, then let’s talk.

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