Keeping it real

Albert M. Berriz learned early that there
are two things that can never be taken
away: education and hard work.

His father ingrained that lesson into him
after the family fled Cuba in 1958 with nothing,
setting him on the path to entrepreneurship.
ThatdrivetookhimtotheUniversityofMiami,
then to the Kellogg School of Management at
Northwestern University before partnering
with Ronald Weiser, founder of McKinley Inc.

Even before he became the company’s
CEO, he was helping McKinley grow. His
ability to solve clients’ problems and the
company’s innovative approach gave
McKinley a competitive edge, helping it
grow and develop a stellar reputation. The
company, which invests in and manages residential and commercial real estate nationwide, today owns and manages 173,871
apartments and 6.2 million square feet of
commercial space in 10 states. It is working
with some of the largest financial institutions
in the country, and its core target is to be the
premier real estate brand in its markets, doubling in size every eight years.

To get there, Berriz emphasizes the positive with his employees, knowing that if he
does a great job with them, they’ll do a great
job with customers. The entire company
celebrates when something good happens,
and Berriz makes sure he says five positive
things for every negative thing he has to
point out.

Conversely, he often talks to employees
about what he’s done wrong, and what he
thinks he should have done differently,
using himself as an example and allowing
people to learn from his mistakes.

HOW TO REACH: McKinley Inc., www.mckinley.com or (734) 769-8520