YPO (formerly Young Presidents' Organization) is an American-based worldwide leadership community of chief executives with more than 34,000 global members in more than 142 countries.
Abbreviation | YPO |
---|---|
Formation | 1950citation needed] | [
Founder | Ray Hickok |
Founded at | Rochester, New York |
Purpose | Networking, peer-to-peer learning and idea exchange among peer presidents, chairpersons, or CEO's |
Headquarters | Irving, Texas |
Membership | Over 30,000[1] |
Subsidiaries | Over 460 individual chapters[citation needed] |
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.[2]
The first meeting was held in 1950 at the Waldorf Astoria New York and was attended by Robert Wood Johnson III (Johnson & Johnson).[3] 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.[4]
As of 2019, there are more than 450 chapters worldwide and more than 28,000 members.[11][12]
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 (Minimum $2,000,000 USD Annual Employee Compensation)[13] and a minimum number of employees(15 Full-Time Employees). The financial criteria differ for service companies and banks.[3] Candidates must be typically recommended by two members of a local chapter and approved by a membership committee of each local chapter.[3] Baseline entry and yearly membership fees are around $10,000 though these can be significantly higher depending on the chapter and other activities.
YPO hosts its leadership gathering, YPO EDGE, each year in a different city. Previous host cities include:
Pat McNees, YPO: The First 50 Years. (Orange Frazer Press, 1999). ISBN 978-1-882203-59-8 OCLC 1011912188