Ed Hajim - On the Road Less Traveled

Copyright 2021 by Edmund A. Hajim

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

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ISBN: 978-1-5107-6424-8

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-6432-3

Printed in the United States of America

To my familymy wonderful wife, Barbara; our three children, G. B., Brad, and Corey; their spouses, Karen, Marthe, and Jim; and our grandchildren, Raam, Noam, Luka, Leo, Emma, Sammy, Eddie, and Oscar.

To the University of Rochester and Harvard Business Schoolfor giving me the education that changed my life.

To the United States of Americafor giving me the opportunity to realize my dreams.

I have tried to recreate events, locales, and conversations from my memories of them. In order to maintain their anonymity, in some cases I have changed the names of individuals and places, and I may have changed some identifying characteristics and details such as such as physical properties, occupations, and places of residence. Except for changes of this kind, the information and the narrative contained in this book are accurate to the best of the authors knowledge.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T HE BOOK THAT YOURE ABOUT TO READ is, at its core, all about family. And I could not have written it without mine. First and foremost, no words suffice for my wonderful wife of fifty-five years, Barbara. She is the heart and soul of our familymy best friend, life partner, the most attentive mother and grandmother imaginable, the true source of my happiness.

Barbara has been patiently involved in the production of this book, contributing her memories, insight, and skills as a researcher, helping me sift through years of our memorabilia, including key letters and some of the vintage photographs featured here.

I also must thank our three children, G. B., Brad, and especially Corey, who encouraged me and worked on and wrote some of the material about my early years.

I must also thank someone who has been an important part of my life for over sixty yearsmy brother-in-law, David Melnickas well as his significant other, Marilyn, and their children, Marc and Jennifer. I also lovingly remember my mother-in-law, Mae Melnick (who was like a true mother to me); my father-in-law, Harry Melnick; and Barbaras Aunt Ruth and Uncle Sam.

Also, as youll see, a secret emerges in this book, and so I am remembering, with great love, my mother, Sophie Hoffman, the gift I found later in life. I must also thank my half brother, Phil, and his wife, Nancy, for being such a key part of my story, too.

As far as the production of this book is concerned, I must thank my editor, bestselling author Glenn Plaskin. His keen insight and editorial abilities were altogether indispensable.

Im also very grateful to author Laura Morton, who worked closely with me on the groundwork and preliminary drafts of this book, and to former Ogilvy & Mather CEO Ken Roman, who gave me much good advice.

Our book team also included book designer, Michelle Manley, who created the book jacket and interior design, capturing the message of the book with skill and care. Thanks also to our copy editors, Barbara Clark and Penelope Lin.

I must also thank the incredible Lillian Nahas, my right hand, who has been with me for twenty-six years, successfully taking me through five corporate transitions. I must thank, too, my driver Marty Kelly, who drove me back and forth to Connecticut for sixteen years and over six hundred thousand miles without an accident or a ticket.

On the personal side, among the incredible friends who have been so supportive and to whom I owe so much:

My lifelong friend Rick Safran, a veteran of both orphanages where I lived as a boy, the sharer and keeper of all my early memories; Dick Wedemeyer, my Rochester classmate, navy comrade, Greenwich Management partner, and lifetime friend, always there for me in every possible way; Dr. Zane Burday, who not only helped me when I was at Rochester but also became my physician and confidant for forty years, as I consulted with him on almost everything, physical and otherwise! Other Rochester classmates, close friends for sixty years, include Al Jesse James, Sid Shaw, Gene Snyder, Sue Bleyler, Sue Hook, John Gillespie, Gail Papish, Ann Johnson, Jerry Gardner, and Ed Kaplan.

I will always remember, with great fondness, the incredible people I met during my years at Harvard Business School who helped mold my perspective and values in life. They include my study group, Art Bellows, Roger Bullard (my roommate who later lived in Greenwich and was a neighbor for thirty-five years), Jack Nordeman, Jean-Robert Bugnion, and Mal Salter, as well as my HBS golf group, Tony Mayer, Bill Whitman, Bob Burt, Bob Birch, John Hoffman, Jack Nordeman, Charlie Baillie, and Charlie Thomas. Also my good friends Barbara Franklin and Joan Griewank Colligan, who have been very helpful in making our reunions successful.

A shout-out goes to YPO and CEO forum group members Scoci Scocimara (our leader and a lifelong confidant), Brock Saxe, Bill Lipner, Mort Fuller, Jim Tullis, Bill Morton, Clint McKendrick, Bob Callahan, Ed Carpenter, and Russ MacDonnell. I was privileged enough to draw on their collective wisdom, asking them most of lifes questions.

I must acknowledge two investment groups: The Concept Group, founded in 1966 by Mike Steinhardt, myself, and others, later joined by Leon Cooperman; and The Third Thursday Group, which I helped form in 1970. Amazingly, it just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in the offices of Byron Wien (Vice Chairman of Blackstones Private Wealth Solutions group), an occasion attended by fellow founders, including Lilia Clemente and Hal Newman, and other original members. Both of these groups have been vital forums for the discussion of trends and ideas.

Among our great family friends who traveled the world with us, I am grateful for Tom OMalley and his wife, Mary Alice; Charlie and Marilyn Baillie; and Joan and George Schiele.

I also want to thank the incredible neighbors and friends weve known in the communities where we built our lives.

In Greenwich: Lynn Rotando, friend and golf partner for over twenty years, and his wife, Susan; Barbara and John Daly; Kate and Bart Osman; Donna and Henry Clarke; Shelley and Shel Claar; Barbara and Reg Brack; Debbie and Asa Davis; Mike Gellert; John Hill Wilson; Nancy and Ron Lynch; Chris and Jim Cowperthwait; Harley and Steve Osman; Art and Jody Bellows; Lynn Glenn; Marsha Berger; Regina and George Rich; Randi and Fred Filoon; and Jane and Alan Batkin.