From legacy stewardship to future-focused growth, Samantha Rudin reflects on institutionalizing talent strategy, aligning people and performance, and carrying forward a 100-year culture without losing what makes it distinct.
Sam Kuiper: Samantha, thank you for joining us and lending your perspective as co-CEO of a 100+ year family-owned New York real estate firm. Could you share a brief overview of Rudin’s history and relationship to its employees?
Samantha Rudin: For us, as a multi-generational family led business, there has always been an unspoken talent strategy. That is how you get to 100 years. It’s been woven into the fabric of the organization across generations.
My brother and co-CEO, Michael, and I represent the fourth generation to lead Rudin. We have watched the leadership in the generations before care deeply about our customers, both the people within our organization, our employees, and our tenants. That mindset is embedded in our DNA. We also care deeply about our community, New York City.
Now, as we evolve the company for the next hundred years, that talent strategy becomes more explicit. It’s about taking what has made us successful historically and activating it to drive the future.
Michelle Yelaska: When you think about talent strategy, how do you define it?
Samantha Rudin: At a simple level, talent strategy is the marriage between people and performance.
You need people who contribute to the culture and values of the organization, and there must be a strong connection to performance and results. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. At Rudin, the bottom line is essential, and performance matters, but we highly value our cultural principles and remain true to them. We seek results by having the right people in place and the right structures to support them.
To give an example, when hiring we prioritize ensuring there is a clear business case for each role and that the candidate meets the qualifications, then once hired, there is an onboarding process to ensure they feel welcome and integrated into our culture. We create opportunities for community engagement both within and outside our company and this helps ensure what we refer to as ‘The Rudin Way’ remains alive.
We also actively encourage employees to take advantage of learning and development opportunities, and we sponsor many of our rising leaders in formal development programs. Over the past few years, our CHRO, Cassie Kulzer, has built a strong infrastructure including implementing a structured performance management process and conducting an annual review of our benefits package to better engage and support our workforce.
Sam Kuiper: From your leadership seat, what is it about institutionalizing talent strategy that is so important?
Samantha Rudin: As a CEO, you can’t be in every room and every conversation.
To be effective, you need ‘trusted lieutenants’ who understand your goals, your vision, and the direction of the organization. Alignment doesn’t mean everyone thinks the same way, but there must be clarity on where you’re headed.
Leadership starts at the top. Clear priorities enable each tier of the organization to execute with focus and cohesion. Institutionalizing talent strategy creates alignment, consistency, and staying power. It also helps when you are seeking growth.
Michelle Yelaska: What do you expect from a CHRO in executing that vision?
Samantha Rudin: Partnership is essential. A CHRO must fully understand the goals set by the CEO and leadership team, then translate them into a strategy to attract, develop, and retain the right talent. If business goals and workforce capabilities are misaligned, you won’t achieve the vision.
Equally important is shared values and ways of working. We’re a 100-year-old organization with a clear cultural framework. What works somewhere else may not work here and vice versa. A CHRO must understand the nuances of each organization’s culture and what defines success. It's also about creating a diversity of talent and understanding what talent is needed to create the desired growth.
Sam Kuiper: Is there a point when formalizing a talent strategy becomes necessary?
Samantha Rudin: It’s fundamental from the start, but it becomes even more essential during times of growth. As leadership transitions and new goals are established, it is vital. Plus, an organization can modernize and transform without compromising its values. Principles can be evergreen, even as the model and structure evolve or change. That balance requires vision and work. It takes intention and close partnership between the CEO, business leaders and CHRO.
One example is that our approach to performance management was historically focused more on retaining people than on aligning talent decisions with the evolving needs of the business. However, we are redefining our strategic goals and priorities, so we have been intentional about the skillsets and talent that Rudin needs. While the model may shift, our values will stay.
Michelle Yelaska: How does a talent framework support and empower employees?
Samantha Rudin: I think that creating a framework that supports employees' growth in an organization where they feel they can add value creates conditions of success for both the individual and the company. Everyone in this way can win.
Sam Kuiper: Turning to your external customers, why is talent strategy crucial to tenant satisfaction?
Samantha Rudin: An early principle of our business, established by my great grandfather, Samuel Rudin, who founded our business in 1925, was to care for the community and those living and working in our buildings. If you could understand the needs of your customer, you can add value and even hopefully improve their experience. When you are creating homes and work environments for people, it must go beyond the surface, details matter, care matters, thought matters—that's why we take a hands-on approach at every level of our company.
Talent strategy can help shape that experience. It can determine how service is delivered, how standards are upheld, and how the brand shows up in real time. There’s the objective component, delivering the Rudin standard, and there’s the human component: a smile, a handshake, a greeting in the building. When you combine operational performance with genuine care, that becomes an unbeatable combination.
Michelle Yelaska: As we wrap up, what responsibility does a CEO carry when it comes to talent?
Samantha Rudin: When your name is on the door, or even when it’s not, it’s equally important to feel responsible for every experience inside the organization. I genuinely care about the people in our company. I want them to succeed, grow, and be happy.
I view investing in people as a gift: helping each other develop, grow, and evolve. That is where I find the most value.