The Alternative Board was founded in 1990 by Allen Fishman in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. His goal was to create an affordable alternative to a board of directors that gives small and medium-sized businesses access to business advice that enables them to operate their businesses more effectively while maintaining an enjoyable work-life balance.

The Alternative Board commenced franchising in 1996 and since then has expanded globally into countries around the globe. There have been over 20,000 business owners who have benefited from The Alternative Board franchised systems.

Allen Fishman is Founder and Executive Chairman of The Alternative Board, the world’s largest franchise system offering peer advisory groups and coaching services for business owners. Among other things, he created the methodologies for The Alternative Board system, which has benefited over 20,000 business owners and their businesses in many different countries.

Allen is a noted expert on privately held companies. He has been featured in numerous international media venues and is a featured speaker at business engagements around the world. In addition, he is a best-selling author of business books that share his business insights. His books include, 7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Masters: The GEM Power Formula for Lifelong Success, 9 Elements of Family Business Success: A Proven Formula for Improving Leadership & Relationships in Family Business, Strategic Business Leadership and The Alignment Factor: Unlock Potential, Boost Employee Performance, and Increase Profits. For over a decade, Allen wrote the nationally syndicated newspaper business advice column, Business Insights.

Allen was President and co-owner of a consumer electronics chain, which after attaining great success became a NASDAQ-traded public entity.