Grateful Student
Returns the Favor
After a 37-year advertising career
at Young & Rubicam, Peter A.
Georgescu is finding time to promote
a few causes that are as dear to him.
Mr. Georgescu, 66, who once man-
aged well-known campaigns like the
"Softer Side of Sears," retired as
chairman and chief executive of
Young & Rubicam in 2000, but he
says he is now in "the most wonder-
ful chapter of my life."
It is an apt metaphor because his
book, "The Source of Success" (Jos-
sey-Bass, $27.95) is being published
this month. The book aims to explain
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what Mr. Georgescu views as the two
major challenges facing America:
economic competition from the
emerging economies of China and In-
dia and a need to foster more cre-
ativity within American companies.
"The only way this nation can com-
pete with those that produce high-
quality products at a lower price is
by generating ideas that build a spe-
cial relationship with consumers," he
said. "Everyone has buildings and
technology; those are commodities.
The only leverageable asset in the fu-
ture will be creativity."
Any profit from his book will go to
a charity called Better Chance,
which finds bright children in some
of the nation's poorest neighbor-
hoods and helps them attend out-
standing high schools, including pri- |
vate prep schools like the
Phillips Exeter Academy
in New Hampshire.
Mr. Georgescu, an Ex-
eter alumnus, received a
bachelor's degree in po-
litical science from
Princeton and an M.B.A.
from Standford before
starting at Young & Rubi-
cam in 1963.
He said he counted
himself lucky to have
gained admission to Exe-
ter in 1954, when he ar- |
Georgescu
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gave me a chance," he
said. "I want to do that
for other young people
who are disadvantaged."
He also volunteers as a
board member of the
New York Philharmonic.
In the business world, he
holds the title of chair-
man emeritus of Young &
Rubicam and serves as a
director for several com-
panies.
He and his wife, Barba-
ra, live in Manhattan and
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rived in the United States at the age
of 15 from his native Romainia after
spending several years in a Commu-
nist labor camp.
"I had been cleaning sewers, and I spoke little English, but someone
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have a son and three granddaugh-
ters. He rises at 6 a.m. most days to
run five miles, partly along the East
River.
"That's how I torture myself," he
said.Robert Johnson
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