Robert Klein

Chairman and Founder of Safeguard Properties
Chairman and Co-Founder of SecureView

With over 20 years of experience, Robert is a national expert in the property preservation industry. As the founder of Safeguard Proper-ties, he began his business in 1990 with just a handful of employees and a commitment to customer service. Under Robert's leadership, Safeguard Properties has grown to over 1,000 employees with an ex-tensive network of subcontractors throughout the United States, Puer-to Rico, and the Virgin Islands. His vision and ingenuity have earned Robert a reputation as an innovator, and he is widely recognized as an industry pioneer.

Robert's deep concern for communities suffering from the devastating effects of economic downturn and an ongoing foreclose crisis has led him to seek out ways to ease the burden on America's most vulnerable populations. This con-cern prompted Robert to support the creation of SecureView, an alternative board-up system that is designed to look like traditional windows. Robert has also received national acclaim for developing a model for holistic community re-vitalization and is presently implementing the approach in Cleveland's Slavic Village, one of America's hardest hit neighborhoods.

Robert currently serves as the Chairman of Safeguard Properties and SecureView. He also served as chair of the Na-tional Vacant Properties Registration Committee of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Robert represents not only Safeguard, but the industry as a whole in national associations including MBA, USFN, CMBA, and REOMAC. He has been a session leader and panelist at yearly industry conferences, in addition to being the primary sponsor of the annual National Property Preservation Conference, which began in 2004.

In 2009, Robert received the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He won both in the North-east Ohio region in the category of professional services and asset management firms, and nationally in the servicing category.

A lifelong entrepreneur, Robert founded RIK Enterprises, a family office, in 2011 in order to devote more time to his philanthropic and community-related activities. RIK Enterprises also focuses on pursuing entrepreneurial and invest-ment-related opportunities. Robert remains active in the property preservation industry in his role as Chairman of Safeguard Properties and SecureView.