Meet Our Members
No matter where you live or do business, YPO membership creates a common bond. Find out why YPO is the most powerful network in the world for business leaders.
Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange™
YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) connects you with successful young chief executives in a global network unlike any other. Founded in 1950 in New York City by a young president named Ray Hickok, the organization unites approximately 20,000 business leaders in more than 120 countries around a shared mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange™.
A great deal has changed since YPO’s founding but certain things have remained the same: the value of a peer network and trusted mentors, the importance of ongoing education, and the need for a “safe haven” where issues can be aired in an environment of confidentiality.
Over the past six decades, YPO has maintained its core commitment to these ideals while embracing change with each successive generation of young business leaders.
To join YPO, you must be under the age of 45 and the chief operator (CEO, managing director, president, chairman or equivalent) of a company that fulfills minimum size and revenue requirements. Upon turning 50, you transition from YPO into WPO (World Presidents’ Organization), which allows you to continue reaping the benefits of the YPO experience while also recognizing that your priorities may have shifted over time.
Members say that YPO has a profound, often life-changing, effect on their lives, reflecting what Ray Hickok noted in 1950:
“YPO is first, last and always a uniquely personal experience.”
We look forward to welcoming you to the world’s leading network of chief executives.
Fast facts
Founded: 1950
Qualifying age: under 45
Qualifying title: CEO, President, Chairman, Managing Director (or equivalent)
Number of members: 20,000 (YPO and WPO)
Number of local chapters: 400
Number of countries: more than 120
Management
YPO-WPO is run by a member-elected chairman and board, and with the support of a chief executive officer and professional management team.
2012-2013 YPO-WPO Chairman:
Chuck Davis
Los Angeles, California
Venture Partner, Technology Crossover Ventures
Former chairman and CEO of Fandango
YPO-WPO Chief Executive Officer:
Scott Mordell
Chicago, Illinois
| YPO: Key Milestones | |
| 1950 | Ray Hickok founds the Young Presidents’ Organization in New York. |
| 1951 | YPO welcomes its first female member, Elsie Frankfort, president of Page Boy Fashions in Texas. |
| 1961 | The Europe Chapter becomes the first chapter outside North America. Chapters in Japan, Mexico and the Caribbean follow. |
| 2000 | YPO members celebrate YPO’s 50th year at an Anniversary Summit with notable speakers including Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan; Jack Welch, CEO of the General Electric Company; and Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. |
| 2006 | YPO admits its 10,000th member, from the Shanghai Chapter |
| 2007 | YPO merges with WPO (World Presidents’ Organization) to create the premier lifelong leadership network. Membership grows to more than 16,000 members in 100 countries. |
| 2009 | YPO and WPO launch YPO Global Pulse, a quarterly economic confidence index designed to share member perspectives on the economy and provide insight into emerging business opportunities around the world.YPO elects its first female international chairman.YPO elects its first female international chairman |
| 2012 | YPO hosts the annual Global Leadership Conference in Singapore. With more than 2,500 attendees, it is the largest event in the organization’s history, and is the first GLC to be hosted in Asia.YPO announces an exclusive editorial partnership with CNBC and establishes “Chief Executive Networks” in the Americas, Europe/Middle East/ Africa and Asia-Pacific to advise and inform CNBC’s audience and editorial leadership. |