The Turnaround Playbook: How Sandeep Mathrani Saved General Growth Properties and WeWork
Sandeep Mathrani has built a career stepping into chaos—andfixing it. From leading General Growth Properties out of bankruptcy during the Global Financial Crisis to taking over WeWork after the board removed Adam Neumann, he’s become one of the most respected turnaround CEOs in real estate. In this episode, Sandeep delivers a true masterclass on running companies and fixing broken ones. If you’re in real estate, private equity, or leadership in any industry, this episode isn’t just a conversation—it’s a playbook. We cover:
* His “glass completely full” mentality—reframingproblems as opportunities instead of problems
* How he rebuilt GGP one asset at a time, despitemassive complexity
* The 50–30–20 rule: which assets to sell, scale,and optimize
* His disdain for the word “busy”—and what itreally signals
* The 3 keys to loan workouts: reputation, plan,and exit
* Walking into WeWork and realizing the mathdidn’t work—and cutting $2.5B in expenses to survive
Learn more about Sandeep:
* Connect with Sandeep on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeep-mathrani [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeep-mathrani]
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In each episode of The Kirsh Connection, Andrew Kirshinterviews industry leaders to learn their real-time opinions on today's market, their background and unique career highlights, and guidance for newcomers to the industry.
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Andrew Kirsh is a founding partner of Sklar Kirsh LLP and isthe Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Department. Sklar Kirsh LLP is a boutique law firm providing services in corporate law, real estate, entertainment, bankruptcy, and litigation.
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The Kirsh Connection is produced and edited by Ashley Thays
