Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> October 13, 2003
JOEL H. RASSMAN is Executive Vice President, Treasurer, Chief
Financial Officer and Director of Toll Brothers, Inc. Mr. Rassman
graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1963. Upon
graduation, he enrolled in Brooklyn College. After determining he
wanted a degree in business or accounting, he switched to Bernard
Baruch College from which he graduated in 1967. Upon graduation,
Mr. Rassman took a position with S. D. Leidesdorf & Company
(which later merged with what is now Ernst and Young). Mr.
Rassman left Leidesdorf in 1972 to join Kenneth Leventhal &
Company (which later merged with what is now Ernst and Young).
Mr. Rassman was a partner in the international accounting firm of
Kenneth Leventhal, based in their New York City office until
1984. In addition to normal accounting assignments, he was
involved in a number of major judicial and non-judicial
reorganizations representing both debtors and creditors, and he
was engaged as a consultant to a number of major banks and
companies assisting in business, tax and accounting areas. Since
1984, Mr. Rassman has been responsible for and/or has overseen
the financial, mortgage banking, accounting, internal audit and
tax operations for Toll Brothers. In this capacity, he was
instrumental in the strategic reorganization of the company for
future growth in anticipation of its initial public offering in
1986. Mr. Rassman is responsible for Toll's banking and Wall
Street relationships and has guided the company through three
bank consortiums and six renewals, and 10 public subordinated
debt offerings, two senior investment grade debt offerings
(144A), one convertible subordinated debt and three equity
offerings. Mr. Rassman holds professional memberships in the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New
York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has made
numerous guest appearances on CNBC, CNN, Fox, CNNfn, Bloomberg TV
and Bloomberg Radio. Profile
came out and your view on what's going on?
Mr. Rassman: The numbers for housing starts are consistent with
what we're seeing. The
