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Benjamin Berger
Head of Design & Construction, North America at IBM
Professional Background
Benjamin Berger is a highly accomplished professional in the field of real estate management, particularly known for his extensive expertise in workplace design and construction. Currently serving as the Global Head of Real Estate at IBM, Ben has a remarkable ability to navigate the complexities of the industry while nurturing strong relationships with clients and colleagues alike. His charismatic approach, combined with sharp analytical skills and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics, allows him to lead with unwavering integrity and intensity. This unique blend of qualities has consistently enabled him and his team to deliver exceptional results across various projects.
Over the years, Ben has progressed through a series of management positions, gaining invaluable experience and insights into the ever-evolving dynamics of workplace environments. His extensive career has seen him lead Workplace Design and Construction for the Americas while also holding global responsibilities for workplace design initiatives. With adeptness in both boardroom strategy and hands-on construction oversight, he has a proven track record of managing high-stakes projects effectively.
In his current role, Ben oversees a vast portfolio of approximately 270 projects, which carries a current active expenditure of $462 million. Managing a dedicated 68-member department, he is responsible for project delivery, global design continuity, as well as accounting, systems, operations, and compliance. His leadership in these areas has been pivotal in reshaping how workplaces are designed and constructed within IBM and beyond.
Education and Achievements
Benjamin Berger’s academic background is as impressive as his professional achievements. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Business Administration and Management from Eckerd College, which laid the foundation for his career in management and organizational leadership. Following this, he pursued a Master of Arts (M.A.) in International Business at the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business, further enhancing his expertise in global business dynamics and strategic management.
Throughout his career, Ben has undertaken numerous notable initiatives that have transformed workplace environments. One of his significant accomplishments includes restructuring his department to enhance risk and control frameworks, which involved not only navigating complex project transitions but also renegotiating contracts following several critical control breaks. This initiative has significantly improved operational effectiveness and project outcomes.
In a bid to leverage data-driven decision-making, Ben instituted an innovative program and cost management organization, working with third-party partners to achieve an immediate 11% reduction in capital expenditure (CAPEX). This dedicated focus on data collection and analysis not only improved transparency but also revolutionized the approach toward managing project costs and resources, thereby driving greater efficiency in operations.
Another noteworthy contribution is Ben's involvement in developing a forward-thinking workplace strategy that emphasizes activity-based settings and unassigned seating. This innovative approach has successfully delivered over 5,000 seats in this format, demonstrating his commitment to reimagining the traditional workplace model. Currently, he is leading pilot projects that explore the future of workplace design, ensuring that IBM stays at the forefront of organizational and architectural advancements.
In addition, Ben has overseen major real estate projects, such as the establishment of new campuses in Sioux Falls, SD, and Tampa, FL, as well as the repositioning of an HQ tower in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His international exposure and ability to negotiate effectively in diverse environments have been instrumental in successfully executing these large-scale projects.
Ben is also versed in developing global Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that support cost-effective procurement strategies on a global scale, showcasing his strategic mindset and operational acumen. His proficiency as a Project Management Professional (PMP) solidifies his capability to manage complex projects efficiently and effectively.
Achievements
- Global Leadership: As the Global Head of Real Estate at IBM, Ben brings a wealth of managerial experience and leadership skills to his role, making him a key player in the company's strategic direction regarding real estate.
- Successful Project Delivery: Ben has successfully managed a large-scale portfolio of roughly 270 projects, overseeing a significant $462 million in active spending while maintaining a focus on driving results.
- Innovative Workplace Strategies: Developed transformative workplace strategies centering around activity-based settings and unassigned seating, which have delivered thousands of flexible workspaces to enhance employee engagement and productivity.
- Cost Management Excellence: His implementation of a data-driven cost management organization has led to an impressive 11% CAPEX reduction, demonstrating Ben's commitment to financial efficiency without compromising quality.
- Global Recognitions: Having held various influential positions in esteemed organizations such as IWG plc and Citigroup, Ben has established a reputation as a trusted leader in the real estate management field.
- Educational Credentials: With a solid educational foundation consisting of a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Eckerd College and a Master's in International Business from the University of Florida, Ben’s academic achievements contribute significantly to his professional expertise.
In conclusion, Benjamin Berger stands out as a dynamic leader in the real estate sector, characterized by his ability to bridge the gap between strategic vision and operational execution. His technical expertise, coupled with his strong interpersonal skills and commitment to innovation, positions him as a formidable figure in workplace design and construction. Whether strategizing in the boardroom or ensuring the successful execution of construction projects, Ben exemplifies the qualities of a leader dedicated to excellence and continuous improvement.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Clay is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Clay as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Clay offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.