RIC CAMPO
CEO, Camden Property Trust
Years in the Industry: 33 While many of the CEOs that took their companies through IPOs in the early ’90s (after the last real estate crash) aren’t at the helm of their companies anymore, Ric Campo remains CEO of Houston-based Camden Property Trust. While Camden holds large stakes in some difficult markets, Campo gets high marks for maintaining a healthy balance sheet throughout this downturn. And, he’s poised to grow when things start improving.
When private equity was gobbling up REITs in the middle part of the last decade, Campo managed to pull off a deal for Summit Properties in 2005. He’s been on the leading edge of incorporating technology into his platform, adopting Rent.com, YieldStar, and Leasing Desk to improve business. And his leadership has put Camden on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for” in America in 2008 and 2009. “Campo is on the leading edge on technology, is a real solid leader for Camden, and has their finances in strong shape,” says Doug Bibby, president of the Washington, D.C.-based National Multi Housing Council (NMHC).
