Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Rob Lapsley

No. 53 Rob Lapsley

There are a number of pro-business groups out there, but perhaps only the Cal Chamber has the same level of influence held by the California Business Roundtable, the nonprofit research and advocacy group comprised of senior executives from major employers throughout the state. That is due in great part to the fact it represents a wide range of the state’s top industry leaders and employers. But the even bigger factor is the organization’s longtime leader, Rob Lapsley. CBRT President since 2011, Lapsley has tremendous institutional knowledge and great political instincts with an innate ability to bring diverse players together into cohesive coalitions. He is a pragmatist with vision that tends toward the long term, and he knows how to take a win when one is there for the taking. That’s no easy feat in a place hardly known for being pro-business. The CBRT has also become an even bigger player in statewide ballot measures under his leadership, and this year will be no different.

Updated Aug. 11, 2026