All the Presidents' men share and share alike

Real Estate Weekly, July 6, 2005 by Daniel Geiger

It can be lonely at the top for corporate presidents. Especially for those who have attained their position quickly.

After all, with whom can a president really consult when confronted with critical decisions? Few have the luxury of an available mentor waiting in the wings with sound and timely advice.

In actuality, it's often difficult for presidents to find those who can relate at all to the all-encompassing and high stakes nature of their work, much less offer meaningful insight and tutelage.

Youth compounds the problem, not only because younger presidents probably have inherently less experience than their older counterparts, but their pool of peers is also less, simply based on the fact that there are not many individuals who manage to rise to the position of president while still younger than their mid 40s.

So while younger presidents may have a greater need for a support network, their position is one where intrinsically such support is harder to find.

The Young Presidents' Organization provides an answer to this conundrum by providing a forum for young presidents from a variety of industries to meet, voice their business concerns, seek advice, exchange viewpoints and share their experiences.

The New York City chapter has more than 100 members, but the participants are arranged into smaller groups numbering under a dozen so as to create a sense of familiarity and trust among one another while allowing each to have ample chance to participate.

"The YPO's credo is 'better presidents through education,'" said Michael Cohen, president and CEO of Williams Real Estate Company who serves as the YPO's chapter chair and has been a member of the organization for over a decade.

"It's a place where you can meet objective people who will share their council and advice and experiences. People who have taken their companies public, who have faced any number of major life decisions."

"There is hardly an experience not experienced."

The organization's membership qualifications require an applicant's firm to gross from $6-$160 million as a minimum, depending on the type and business of the firm and employ at least 50 employees. The applicant has to be under 45.

Among the organization's ranks, there is a growing contingent of presidents in the real estate industry.

Gary Green, CEO of Classic Security, and Robert Lapidus, president of L&L Acquisitions, as well as real estate owner, Scott Lawler, all have joined within the last year.

Green is currently in the midst of acquiring another firm and praised the YPO's advice to him regarding the transaction.

"Being a part of the group is like playing tennis with someone who is far better than you, it makes your game a lot better," Green said. "The members are all so talented and are playing the game at such a high level that just being around them is a value added experience. The issues that come up in meetings really prepare you for the kinds of things that you have to face, and because there are members of a number of different industries it helps diversify my knowledge base."

Because there has been such an influx of members of the real estate community, that diversity has been challenged. Cohen indicated how essential diversity is in fostering the kind of open, honest forum that has allowed the organization's discussions to be so valuable to the members.

"If the chapter becomes too heavily weighted with one industry then there could be concerns among the members of that industry about confidentiality," Cohen said. "And that would kill the intimate, trusting atmosphere that produces such productive discussions."

Lapidus said he appreciated similarities between members.

"It's really one of the few places where you can find people like yourself, with the same concerns and responsibilities," he said. "In that sense, it's really a great thing to be a part of because it's tough to find people who can share experiences that will be valuable to you and what you do."