Corporate Interview Blueprint

By 1995, David Simon was named CEO, and in 1996, he oversaw the acquisition of DeBartolo Realty Corporation, the first ever public-to-public REIT merger. If the 1980s were defined by big building, the 1990s epitomized the era of big mergers. David’s vision was to create the best, most impressive retail real estate company in the world. He realized that in order to accomplish that dream, the company had to expand through strategic mergers and acquisitions, building an unrivaled portfolio of high quality retail real estate in the best markets and across multiple retail platforms. Armed with first-hand knowledge of mergers and acquisitions from his experience on Wall Street, coupled with his acute financial prowess, David would lead the company through unprecedented growth through the next two decades. In 1997, Simon acquired the Retail Property Trust portfolio, adding 10 upscale enclosed malls to the portfolio, including the prestigious Westchester located in White Plains, New York. A year later, the company acquired Corporate Property Investors, adding a portfolio of 23 malls, most notably the iconic Roosevelt Field ® in Long Island, New York, and Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square ® in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon completion of the merger, Simon was more than twice the size of its nearest competitor. Committed to more than just real estate, Simon has also demonstrated a commitment to the communities it serves. In 1998, Simon and the Simon family established the Simon Youth Foundation, ® a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational and career development opportunities for young people nationwide. Now in its 16th year, the foundation has graduated 13,000 students and awarded more than $15 million in scholarships. In 1999, the company continued its pursuit of market dominance, acquiring 14 regional malls in the Boston and New England area, further solidifying its portfolio. Simon again made history in 2002, with a unique and unprecedented partnership, acquiring the retail assets of Rodamco North America, N.V. This added prestigious shopping centers such as The Galleria ® in Houston, Texas, and Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts, to the portfolio. 2002 also marked a momentous milestone in the company’s history when Simon was named to the S&P 500 Index. In the next ten years, Simon continued its growth and expansion through several acquisitions and investments.

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