The Corporate Executive Board (CEB) provides companies with products and services designed to enable executives and professionals to deliver positive business outcomes. The Company delivers its products and services to a global network through annual, fixed-fee memberships. At December 31, 2008, its member network included executives and professionals from more than 50 countries and 5,100 institutions. The CEB member network is essential to its business. In October 2009, the Company acquired TowerGroup, a financial services industry research and advisory firm.