Being an executive business leader requires a unique blend of experience, education, and passion. Many accomplished business leaders also attribute their success to networking with their peers and being inspired by other executives in similar job roles. YPO, the Young Presidents’ Organization recognizes the value of networking and peer learning and has built a global leadership community around fostering extraordinary chief executives. The organization states that it gives these leaders the opportunity to “harness the knowledge, influence, and trust of the world’s most influential and innovative business leaders to inspire business, personal, family and community impact,” according to the YPO website.
Within the ever-evolving business world, emerging technology in practically every job field and the advancement of culture and diversity within business, YPO makes networking, learning and growing as a top business executive easier by concentrating these resources into one organization that has a worldwide presence.
About YPO
The Young Presidents’ Organization was conceptualized and brought to life in 1950 by Ray Hickok of New York City. Hickock was the executive leader at his family’s manufacturing company. Through networking with other business executives, Hickok came up with a strategy to foster the business relationships he was involved in and expand the concept to others. The conquest of building the organization with foundational members started with 20 hand-selected invitations from Hickok to other business executives in the New York City area. Once the initial group invested and participated in YPO, it grew year after year from dozens of members to hundreds and eventually thousands.
Almost 70 years from its inception, the Young Presidents’ Organization now has over 28,000 members throughout 130 countries. According to YPO, the combined revenue of the companies these 28,000 members manage is over $9 trillion. YPO offers multiple tiers of membership, including several different opportunities to experience the wealth and impact the organization has curated for business executives.
The first opportunity offers a peer-to-peer community in a digital setting. Executives and their partners or spouses are given the chance to connect with other members who have similar backgrounds, experiences and passions in their field. In this program, members are able to join monthly conference calls and participate in communication with their peers whether they are in the same state as one another or reside in different countries altogether. This opportunity enables members to connect with accomplished individuals who are executive-level leaders at their company or who have started their own business.
If members prefer to communicate with their YPO peers in person, Young Presidents’ Organization offers yearly events for members, held all over the world. Members are able to connect with others face-to-face in inspirational settings. Several of these events are open to members’ partners or spouses, making these interactive development opportunities available to the whole household. Some events are even open to members’ young adult children, giving them the chance to start learning from prominent business leaders at a young age. YPO states that more than 5,000 events are held each year, each with different activities, presentations, and opportunities for members to network with one another.
For YPO members who want an even bigger involvement in the organization, there are mentorship and leadership opportunities within the Young Presidents’ Organization. YPO’s MentorCloud platform connects members who are mentors to others in their communities. Not only does this impact the mentee, but it is an additional way for the mentors to gain experience and grow as executive leaders. Members can also become organizational leaders who lead within the different associations of YPO.
Besides networking and peer-to-peer mentorship and partnerships, the Young Presidents’ Organization offers an educational platform with several different programs for its members. “Faculty to Global Leaders” gives members the exclusive opportunity to learn from accomplished professors and professionals at some of the most prominent colleges and universities from around the world. Stand-out universities that are a part of this YPO program include Aspen Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Harvard Business School, Stanford University Business School and University of California at Berkeley.
For members who want to learn while on-the-go, the YPO online learning platform offers a collection of audio and video content. These resources are arranged in different series depending on what suits an individual member. They can range from just a couple of minutes to ten minutes in length, offering tips, experiences and invaluable information for members and their executive growth.
Finally, YPO members can also partake in the more than 50 partnerships the organization has developed with some of the largest companies in the world. From resources for businesses and wealth management to discounts, this benefit increases the value of YPO membership.
YPO’s Global Presence
Another aspect of Young Presidents’ Organization’s structure is its chapters. A chapter in YPO is 16 or more members who connect on a deeper level than thousands of members being present at a conference or on a monthly conference call. This smaller group of members can support one another in their business initiatives, while also enabling learning on a deeper level.
Members of YPO can be involved in one or multiple chapters, depending on the leadership and experience they are seeking. A local chapter can be held within a particular city or town, while a regional chapter can be in a state or larger proximity in a given country. There are currently about 1,000 members in YPO regional chapters all over the world. On six continents, there are 36 regional chapters (inlcuding chapters include Australia/ New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East/ North Africa, North Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Mid-America U.S., Northeastern U.S., Pacific U.S., Southeast U.S., and Western U.S.) that members can apply to be a part of. In total, there are around 450 local chapters on that more focused level for executives in or near the same city.
In each chapter, the members can strategize, plan and host their own YPO events that are targeted toward the defined theme of that particular chapter, season or common business goal. This can include social events, networking or smaller conferences to share experiences on a more intimate level. YPO members are encouraged to join a chapter, and they can also join multiple chapters if it makes sense for their business and networking goals. Members can join a local chapter for monthly or weekly involvement, and they could also join a regional chapter with a broader radius to network with chief executive managers in other states or countries.
Becoming a Member of YPO
Young Presidents’ Organization has very specific and selective criteria to be considered for membership. There are job title and age requirements, along with qualifications the applying member’s business must meet. First, the applicant must be a high-ranking executive at their company. Her or his title could include one of the following: Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Managing Director, Managing Partner or President. Further evaluation of the title is conducted during the application process.
There can only be one YPO member from a company unless the members are in completely different divisions. If more than one applicant is from the same company, these conditions will be evaluated to decide if one or both applicants will be accepted into the organization. Age is another factor when it comes to applying for the Young Presidents’ Organization membership. The applicant must be 44 or younger, as the cut off to join membership is 45 years old.
Not only does the applicant have to meet the requirements from YPO, but their business must also meet the organization’s standards. The business must meet YPO’s corporation standards.
Member Spotlight: Jason Colodne
Although Young Presidents’ Organization has strict requirements for applicants wanting to become members of the organization, these criteria also mean that the members of YPO are highly experienced, with knowledge they can share with other members. Many of YPO’s members are CEOs from major companies throughout the world, and all are are innovators and executive leaders; women and men at the forefront of businesses mentoring one another, sharing their collective experiences and knowledge. From healthcare and technology to financial services and consumer packaged goods, YPO’s members come from many different backgrounds yet share the commonality of success and passion for business, including one such member, Jason Colodne.
Jason Colodne helped establish and launch Colbeck back in 2009 as the Managing Partner. Colbeck is an investment advisory platform that, according to the firm’s website, “leverages an extensive network of industry relationships, creative deal origination, bespoke credit structuring, and significant special situations experience.” With offices in New York and Los Angeles, Colbeck offers services on account of its executive team, including Colodne.
Jason Colodne and many other YPO members got started in business early on, accumulating a wealth of experience and building strong leadership capabilities. Colodne’s previous ventures include being the Managing Director and Head of the Strategic Finance division at Morgan Stanley. His background also includes managing the Distressed Research and Investing and Hybrid Lending Businesses at Goldman Sachs.
In addition to his role at Colbeck, Jason Colodne is currently a Centurion Foundation Board member, as well as a Children’s Tumor Foundation Committee member.
Why Business Professionals Join Young Presidents’ Organization
Business in this day and age relies heavily on experience, growth, success, and innovation. YPO offers an innovative interactive learning and networking platform enabling professionals to learn from one another’s knowledge, successes, failures, and ideas. The goal of YPO is to be a resource for establishing business relationships among peers, along with making connections that could develop into new business opportunities not otherwise available.
