Young Presidents' Organization

YPO was founded in 1950 in Rochester, New York, by manufacturer Ray Hickok, who was 27 years old when he became the head of his family's Rochester-based Hickok Belt, a 300-employee company.

The first meeting was held in 1950 at the Waldorf Astoria New York and was attended by Robert Wood Johnson III (Johnson & Johnson).[1] Hickok and a small group of young presidents in the area began meeting regularly to share and learn from each other. According to the organization, its founding principle is that of education and idea exchange among peers.[2]

• The first non-U.S. chapter was created in 1956 in Ontario, Canada.
• The first YPO University was held in Miami Beach, Florida.
• YPO merged with its graduate organization, World Presidents Organization (WPO), in 2007.
• The YPO Global Pulse survey launched in 2009, and is a quarterly economic confidence index that shares business insights from CEOs.[3][4]
• In 2010, Jill Belconis became the first woman elected to serve as YPO-WPO international chairman.[5]
• YPO formed an editorial partnership with CNBC in 2012.[6]
• Elizabeth Zucker is the 2019-2020 chairman of the YPO Board of Directors. [7]

As of 2019, there are more than 450 chapters worldwide and more than 28,000 members.[8][9]

To qualify for membership, a person must have become, before age 45, the president or chairman and chief executive officer of a corporation of significance with a minimum revenue and minimum number of employees. The financial criteria differ for service companies and banks.[1] Candidates must be typically recommended by two members of a local chapter and approved by a membership committee of each local chapter.[1]

• Charles R. Schwab, Founder & CEO, Charles Schwab Corporation[10]
• Peter Ueberroth, Chairman, 1984 L.A. Olympic Games, former Commissioner, Major League Baseball[11]
• Bob Galvin, Founder & former CEO, Motorola[12]
• Jim Balsille, Co-Founder & former Co-CEO, Research in Motion/Blackberry[13]
• Scott Cook, Founder & former CEO, Intuit
• Douglas Fairbanks Jr., founder of United Artists motion picture studio[10]
• Christie Hefner, former CEO, Playboy Enterprises[14]
• Ray Lee Hunt, Hunt Oil[10]
• Robert Wood Johnson II, president of Johnson & Johnson[10]
• Ronnie Lott, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Founder & Managing Director, HRJ Capital
• Leonard Lauder, former CEO, Estee Lauder[10]
• Heidi Zak, Founder and CEO, Third Love
• Penny Pritzker, US Secretary of Commerce[12]
• Muna AbuSulayman, Saudi businesswoman, activist and television personality
• Jim Pattison, a Canadian business magnate, investor and philanthropist
• Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook[15]
• Doug Lebda, CEO Lending Tree
• Jonathan Zucker, CEO 1-Chinaman Co. Ltd.

YPO hosts its flagship leadership gathering called YPO EDGE each year in different city. YPO EDGE is YPO’s annual showcase of thought leadership and innovation, bringing together visionaries, talented leaders, subject matter experts and unique voices from around the world to engage and inspire all that attend this invitation-only event. Previous host cities include:

• 2019 | Cape Town, South Africa[16]
• 2018 | Singapore[17]

Pat McNees, YPO: The First 50 Years. (Orange Frazer Press, 1999). ISBN 978-1-882203-59-8 OCLC 1011912188

• YPO Official Site