David Lerner, owner and president of David Lerner Associates, spoke at the Charles B. Wang Center on Thursday to give some tips to success. Hosted by Manuel London, dean of the College of Business, the event kicked off the school’s guest speaker program, which is conducted by Larry Austin, friend of the College of Business and the owner of Austin Travel.
Lerner is currently running one of New York’s major financial investment planning firms, managing more than $8 billion in assets. His company is centered in Syosset, N.Y.
The former Bronx native used an unusual method throughout his presentation. Instead of just reading from his slide show, he would engage the students by asking for their opinions. Prior to the start of the event, Lerner took the time out to introduce himself and speak to as many students as he could.
The main theme of the presentation was “The Anatomy of a Winner.” Lerner gave his “aces” to being successful in not only the world of business, but in any field of work. The aces included but were not limited to: taking risks, being a team player, and holding on to your dreams.
Dreaming was stressed multiple times by the high school teacher turned company owner. Just 25 years ago, Lerner was forcing his students to wear ties in a public school in the Bronx and now he’s managing billions of dollars. As he said, “If you’re going to succeed, you have to dream.”
Heading a company of over 500 people and managing close to 100,000 different investors, Lerner expressed the importance of teamwork. His motto of “2 + 2 = 5” is somewhat unorthodox, but it explains how if people work well together they can achieve even more than they had hoped for. Lerner said that “If you believe, you can take everyone with you.”
Lerner, who always had a smile on his face, took a giant risk to begin his future success; he started his financial investing company after quitting his teaching job and setting aside a mere $2,000.
But in a move that was surprising to everyone but him, Lerner made the right choice by “pushing the boundaries,” inspiring the title for his upcoming book, “I Took the Road Less Traveled By,” which he hopes will be on the shelves within three to four months.
The next event will feature Dave Hershberg, CEO and chairman of Globecomm, on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. in Ballroom B of the Student Activities Center.
