David N. Alden

David N. Alden | Chair of Peer Advisory Groups | Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

Over the course of three-plus decades, David N. Alden has wielded an unassailable expertise when it comes to corporate leadership and now provides guidance to others, helping them to build and maintain strong businesses. He has served as a Vistage Chair first in Southeast Michigan beginning in 2014 and then with Vistage Worldwide in 2022 in the Delaware Valley. He utilizes his experience working closely with more than 70 businesses to individually coach and mentor a total of 38 mid-market executives in such areas as new business implementation, personnel hiring and talent development, company accountability, revenue strategy and planning, strategic problem solving, organization structure and development, and cross-culture leadership—having lived and worked for 10 years in Asia.

Immensely proud of building the Vistage group from scratch, Mr. Alden previously accrued 32 years in the corporate sector. He found success as the director of Business Development Americas Automotive at CHEP from 2007 to 2010 and climbed the ladder at the Ford Motor Company beginning in the late 1970s. Between 1978 and 2005, he held numerous regional office marketing and sales positions at Ford and served as the marketing planning manager for the Taiwan branch, the Western U.S. marketing manager in Los Angeles, the director of marketing, sales, and service programs in Japan, the regional sales manager in Chicago, and the regional, Midwest regional manager, and national dealer relations manager in Michigan.

Mr. Alden was active as the vice president of marketing, sales, and services in China, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa from 2005 to 2007 and ended his accomplished career at Ford as president of its Southeast Asia and Japan branch, implementing his leadership across Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Japan. While at Ford, Mr. Alden was responsible for developing and executing a $155 million profit turnaround from 2006 to 2009 through a combination of revenue improvements, synergies, and reduction in business structure.

Attributing his success to being a lifelong learner, and learning from his mistakes, Mr. Alden is equipped with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, with distinction, from Connecticut College and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College. In addition to his primary endeavors, Mr. Alden was active as vice president of the board of directors for the Thai Chamber of Commerce from 2009 to 2010 and involved in Habitat for Humanity in Thailand. A dedicated member of the Great Lakes Cobra Club and Optimist Club, he enjoys spending time with his family—his wife, Anne, and their four children and four grandchildren—as well as playing golf and distance biking.

Looking toward the future, Mr. Alden aims to continue expanding operations at his company.