Shaping the Skyline: The World According to Real Estate Visionary Julien Studley
JULIEN STUDLEY has had a profound impact on the skyline of America, an impact that continues to this day. Yet this brilliant real estate pioneer never designed an office building, nor constructed a skyscraper. What are the secrets to his success?Shaping the Skyline is the compelling story of how Julien Studley transformed himself from an unschooled immigrant into the founder of one of the nation’s most successful commercial real estate companies. Written by globally known real estate writer Peter Hellman, this fascinating book draws on Hellman’s hundreds of hours of interviews with Studley, along with friends both in and out of the business world (since, almost to a person, those who know Julien Studley consider him a friend), to reveal the deeply personal story of a man who:Fled Belgium at age twelve to escape Nazi persecution, mattresses strapped to the roof of the family car for protection against German strafingFounded his New York City real estate brokerage in 1954 with a focus on representing tenants rather than ownersForesaw the upcoming boom in office construction that would bring on a new wave of tenants needing skilled and determined advocacyShrewdly–and ever so quietly–gained control between 1969 and 1973 over the New York City block that would become the landmark Citicorp CenterPioneered the concept of "teaming" to grow his fledgling enterprise into a commercial real estate powerhouseWatched in horror as his firm’s 86th floor World Trade Center office–along with two beloved employees–were lost during 9/11Julien Studley’s story is much more than a standard corporate biography. It is, in fact, a riveting tale of late twentieth century corporate America, a time in which America’s global business dominance was built on the vision and sacrifice of individualists who were strong, stubborn, and above all, resourceful. Shaping the Skyline reveals how Julien Studley created a unique corporate culture in which men and women from unlikely backgrounds–ranging from a dental hygienist to a dancer–were empowered to successfully and repeatedly pull off complex and lucrative deals with million-dollar payoffs. Through its detailed and dramatic personal insights into how Studley and his team conceived and executed deals of great complexity, you’ll learn about what it really takes to achieve breakthrough success in corporate America–and an MBA is not required.