Addison Barry Rand is chief executive officer (CEO) of AARP, the world's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to social change and helping people 50 and over to improve the quality of their lives. Mr. Rand is a dynamic leader and change agent who brings to AARP a proven track record of leading both multibillion-dollar businesses and smaller, private equity-driven businesses. He has served as chairman and chief executive officer of Avis Group Holdings, CEO of Equitant Ltd., and executive vice president, Worldwide Operations, at Xerox Corporation. He serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Howard University.
Mr. Rand began his career at Xerox as a sales representative in 1968. From there, he advanced to several senior positions within the company, completing an outstanding 30-year career as executive vice president, Worldwide Operations. He was responsible for the entire value chain for Xerox's $18 billion business, oversaw a workforce of more than 70,000 employees in over 150 countries and helped lead Xerox's financial revival resulting in total shareholder return at twice the rate of the S&P 500.
Under his leadership, Xerox became the most diverse company in the Fortune 500 while also being named "America's Best Sales Force" and "Top Training Organization in America." And he was the driving force behind Xerox receiving the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1989 and again in 1997.
In 1999, Mr. Rand became chairman and chief executive officer of Avis Group Holdings, Inc. He transformed Avis from the second-largest car rental company to the world's leading service and information provider of comprehensive automotive transportation and vehicle management solutions, dramatically increasing the company's value. His successful transformation of the company led to its being acquired by Cendant Corporation in 2001.
Throughout his career, Mr. Rand has served on numerous boards, including: Teacher's Insurance Annuity Association/College Retirement Equity Fund (TIAA/CREF), Honeywell Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, Ameritech, Avis Group, AT&T Wireless Services, Agilent Technologies, Aspect Communications and Campbell Soup Company.
He has served as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Howard University since 2006 and has also served on the boards of the Urban Family Institute, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Garth Fagan Dance Theatre. He established the Helen Matthews Rand Endowed Scholarship, a $1.5 million program at the Howard University School of Education named in honor of his late mother, a Washington, D.C., public school principal, to encourage students to enter teaching careers in urban school areas.
Mr. Rand continues to serve on a number of boards and advisory committees. He holds a B.A. from American University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University, where he was also a Sloan Executive Fellow. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from six universities. He was inducted into the National Sales Hall of Fame (winning the Thomas J. Watson Award) and is a recipient of the esteemed NAACP Image Award. He and his wife, Donna, have two adult children.
