History
YPO-WPO is the world's premier global leadership network, providing exceptional educational and networking opportunities for top executives and their families throughout every stage of their lives. YPO was founded in 1950 by manufacturer Ray Hickok in New York as a way for members to learn, exchange ideas and share strategies to address the challenges young leaders face.
WPO was founded in 1970 as the World Business Council by 200 former YPO members who set out to sustain and enrich the exchange of ideas with their peers that they began in YPO. Having expanded rapidly, in 1991 WBC changed its name to the World Presidents' Organization, or WPO, to reflect its growth in membership and global reach.
In July 2007, YPO and WPO merged to form the world's premier global leadership network, guided by a common mission of Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange.
Influence
YPO-WPO connects nearly 17,000 top executives from 300 local chapters in more than 100 countries. In aggregate, the companies run by YPO-WPO members employ more than 19 million people and generate US$4.3 trillion in annual revenues.
Demographics
Organization Type data reflects YPO members only.
Membership, Leadership and Management
To qualify for YPO membership, business leaders must be under the age of 45 and must be managing director, head partner, publisher, president, CEO, chairman or the equivalent of a company of a certain size. Members transition to WPO between the ages of 50 and 55, and can remain in WPO for the rest of their lives. YPO-WPO is a not-for-profit organization managed by a professional management team located around the world.
Education
The YPO-WPO experience centers around education and idea exchange. Chapters bring members together to discover new insights into many topics, ranging from geopolitical and business to personal, family and community issues. YPO-WPO offers seminars and industry roundtables, bringing together members from many different countries to examine specific industry trends and best practices. International conference calls allow members to learn from world-class experts in the comfort of their home or office. Conferences are a stimulating blend of educational and social opportunities. Membership in YPO-WPO also provides exclusive access to executive education programs at such prestigious institutions as Harvard Business School, Stanford and the London Business School, providing members with the most recent developments in business and leadership, and the opportunity to interact with other YPO-WPO members from around the world.
Forums
Forums are groups of eight to 10 members who meet as peers on a regular basis in an atmosphere of confidentiality, trust and openness to share in each other's business, family and personal experiences. Every day, members connect and exchange powerful ideas and deep experiences through Forum. For this reason, Forum has grown to include the following: Spouse Forums, Young Adult Forums (ages 18 and above), Couples Forums, Family Forums and International/Regional Forums.
Networks
YPO-WPO Networks break away from geography and put a new spin on member networking. YPO-WPO members join local chapters, but they also have the chance to interact globally through special business, personal and social enterprise networks.
The following are some of the networking choices available to all YPO-WPO members:
Business Networks focus on various business sectors, industries and regions which allow members to instantly expand professional contacts. These range from Family Business, Real Estate Industry, and Doing Business with China, to the Women’s International Network.
Personal Networks allow members to connect globally around topics including Wine, Golf, Photography, Personal Investing and Art.
Social Enterprise Networks bring like-minded YPO-WPO members together to address community, philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors. These Networks cover such issues as Economic Development, Education and the Environment.
|
