YPO-WPO(left)

“It’s the biggest, most connected network you’ve never heard of,” Mordell said. “Our members add up to over $6 trillion in revenue and manage more than 15 million people. We have incredible reach as a network.” The group connects leaders with a CEO or equivalent title under age 45. After age 50, members transition into WPO, or World Presidents’ Organization, to continue their quest for improvement. YPO and WPO now help members in 128 countries craft connections that matter.

“YPO-WPO really creates an opportunity for our members to engage on issues and topics that they usually would not talk about outside of YPO-WPO,” Mordell said. “In that sense, we have protocols built around safety, trust and confidentiality that really help people be more candid with one another. Candor creates sharing and sharing creates person-to-person learning. When you boil down all the things we offer, we’re trying to put people in a safe place in their mind so they can learn from each other.”

YPO was created in 1950 by Ray Hickok, a president who wanted a leadership exchange. “It was right after World War II, and there was no formal business education out there. The founding of YPO was really ignited by people looking for support,” Mordell explained. “Now, networking isn’t the issue, but there’s not always guidance in how to interact with the world, and how to create trust and deeper connections.”

Mordell speaks from experience. “I joined YPO-WPO as a member in 1995, and it’s been a big part of my learning to grow,” he said. “I’m a better person because of YPO in a lot of ways. About 3 and a half years ago, I had the opportunity to become CEO and it’s a totally different context of experience.”

YPO-WPO is home to over 50 networks where members engage on any number of topics, ranging from wine, sports and real estate to microfinance and global diplomacy. YPO-WPO chapters also put on over 5,000 events annually. At the forefront of its offering is its forum program, an innovative way for its members to receive direct feedback.

“Forum was created 40 years ago, and a number of organizations have tried to copy it since. It’s a personal board of directors, anywhere from eight to 12 people, who meet every single month,” Mordell said. “In short, the only rules are you have to be perfectly honest and everything that is said is perfectly confidential. In that forum we have all kinds of protocols and processes. But it’s every CEO’s personal board of directors, so we might talk about business, personal matters, anxieties or what you want to become. Because it’s confidential and everyone has to be honest, it’s a great way to share a life with a small, diverse group of people and to become a much better person,” he said.

Throughout his business experience, Mordell has seen the advantages private aviation has to offer YPO-WPO members. “There’s no denying the incredible value that private aviation can offer where time is important, and it makes it much easier to travel,” Mordell said. “So many more people are doing business outside of their local geography. Relationships matter as much and even more today than they did 15 or 20 years ago. The access, the control and discretion private aviation allows the flyer lets people connect in person easier and more effectively regardless of where that other person is,” he said.

The benefits of private aviation are numerous for Mordell. “The ability to go to a very close airport and not wait in line, just get on the plane and go point to point is huge,” he said. “I can get to where my desired connection is, talk to that person and get to know them and turn around and come back. It’s an incredible business advantage compared to those who fly commercial.”

“There’s not a single better perk that one can have if one is traveling than having access to private aviation,” he said.

Learn more about Scott and YPO-WPO in the Winter 2015 issue of SOAR Magazine, online now.