Peter Palandjian (born February 12, 1964) is an American businessman and former professional tennis player. Palandjian became chief executive officer of Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation in 1993. The company was founded by his father, Petros, in 1959.
 | |
| Full name | Peter Palandjian |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | February 12, 1964 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Turned pro | 1987 |
| Retired | 1989 |
| Prize money | $30,728 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 1–4 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 280 (August 15, 1988) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 1–11 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 175 (July 10, 1989) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | 1R (1988, 1989) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1988) |
| US Open | 1R (1988) |
Early life and education
editBorn in Boston, to a family of Armenian descent. Palandjian attended Phillips Academy Andover and Harvard University, from which he graduated with a BA in Literature in 1987. He enrolled in Harvard Business School and earned an MBA, graduating in 1993.
While at Harvard, he twice captained the Harvard tennis team and played in the NCAA championships, both in singles and doubles, as the team's number one player.[1]
Career
editBusiness
editPalandjian worked for two years with Bain & Company, as an Associate.[2] He was then an assistant to the chief executive officer of Staples, while attending Harvard Business School.[2]
Since 1993 he has been chief executive officer of Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation, which was originally a construction company and was founded in Boston in 1959 by his father, an immigrant to the United States, Petros A. Palandjian.[3]
Under Peter's leadership, the company evolved its core business from fully integrated services and investment partnerships, to private equity real estate structured in fund-based investment management and advisory services.[4]
Tennis
editPalandjian competed professionally after leaving college and won six ATP tour Challenger titles, all in doubles.[5][6][7] He also made main draw appearances in singles and doubles at various Grand Prix tournaments.[7] Notable victories include wins over Jay Lapidus (Stratton Mountain, 1987), Ricardo Acuna and Mark Dickson (Raleigh, 1987) Tony Mmoh (Boston, 1998), Martin Laurendeau (Miami, 1998), Andrew Sznajder (Seattle, 1998). One of his doubles partners, at the 1988 U.S. Pro Tennis Championships in Boston, was future world number one Jim Courier.[8] In 1988 he featured in the men's doubles at three Grand Slam events, the French Open, Wimbledon Championships and US Open. He also played men's doubles at the 1989 French Open and mixed doubles at the 1989 Wimbledon Championships. His brother, Paul, was also a collegiate tennis player.[9] The pair played a Grand Prix tournament together at Boston in 1989.[10] During Palandjian's highest career world ranking in doubles he reached No. 175 on July 10, 1989.
Palandjian retired from tennis in 1989.
Personal life
editPalandjian lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has four children with his former wife Marie-Louise "Minou" Palandjian: Manon Palandjian, Petros Palandjian, Margot Palandjian, and Madelon Palandjian.[11] His daughter Manon oversees marketing and communications for his family's company.[12]
He married actress Eliza Dushku in August 2018.[13] In February 2019, Dushku announced that she was pregnant with their first child.[14] Their son Philip was born six months later, in August of that year.[15] In August 2021, Dushku gave birth to the couple's second son, Bodan.[16]
Controversy
editSince October 2023, Palandjian has faced criticism from pro-Palestinian activists for Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation's decision to lease one of its Cambridge, Massachusetts properties to the American subsidiary of Israeli defense company Elbit Systems.[17][18] In June 2024, approximately 100 protestors rallied outside Palandjian's Cambridge home demanding Palandjian and Intercontinental remove Elbit Systems from this Intercontinental property in Cambridge.[19]
Activists have alleged that Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation leasing to Elbit Systems makes Palandjian complicit in genocide against Palestinians.[20] Some activists have further highlighted Elbit Systems' role in providing weapons to Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,[21][22] a conflict which culminated in accusations that Azerbaijan is committing genocide against Armenians,[23] and alleged that Palandjian should not allow Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation to lease space to Elbit Systems given his Armenian heritage.[24]
Challenger titles
editDoubles: (5)
edit| No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1987 | Bossonnens, Switzerland | Hard |  Bud Schultz
|
 Heiner Moraing Alexander Mronz
|
6–4, 6–3 |
| 2. | 1987 | Helsinki, Finland | Carpet | Bud Schultz
|
 Nicklas Utgren Pasi Virtanen
|
7–6, 6–4 |
| 3. | 1988 | Aptos, U. S. | Hard | Jeff Klaparda
|
Ed Nagel Jeff Tarango
|
6–3, 6–4 |
| 4. | 1988 | New Haven, U. S. | Hard | Jeff Klaparda
|
 Zeeshan Ali Chris Bailey
|
6–2, 7–5 |
| 5. | 1988 | Helsinki, Finland | Carpet | Luke Jensen
|
Jörg Müller James Turner
|
7–6, 3–6, 6–3 |
References
edit- ^ "Men's Tennis". The Harvard Crimson. April 14, 1987. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ a b "Peter Palandjian to Discuss Real Estate at Men's Club Meeting". Armenian Mirror-Spectator. October 22, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "The Fifty Families (Part Two)". Boston Magazine. May 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "Company History". Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ "Sports shorts". Sun Journal. November 16, 1987. p. 20. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "USTA Pro Circuit Record Book" (PDF). United States Tennis Association. 2012. p. 55. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Buderi, Robert (September 10, 2007). "VC Varsity: The Best Athletes on Boston's Private-Equity Circuit---the Roster". Xconomy. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Boston - 04 July - 10 July 1988". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ Kass, Sarah (April 14, 1986). "Netmen lose to Harvard; color NCAA slot Crimson". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Boston - 10 July - 16 July 1989". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Jay (June 24, 2011). "Peter Palandjian: Holding court in real estate investment management". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "Power 2016: Family Ties". Boston Magazine. April 24, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ "Eliza Dushku marries Peter Palandjian in Boston: Photos". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ^ "Eliza Dushku Is Pregnant: 'We're Just Very Excited'". Us Weekly. February 15, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ "Eliza Dushku and Peter Palandjian Welcome a Son". People Magazine. August 1, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ VanHoose, Benjamin; Chung, Gabrielle (August 9, 2021). "Eliza Dushku and Husband Peter Palandjian Welcome Second Baby Boy: 'Boston Brothers'". People.com. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ "Central Plaza". Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Central Plaza II". Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Protesters Rally Outside Home of Intercontinental Real Estate CEO Peter Palandjian '87". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will (July 3, 2024). "Shut down Elbit! No military tech for Israel!". Workers World. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ "Advanced Israeli weaponry playing major role in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh offensive". ctech. October 2, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Scharf, Avi (March 6, 2023). "92 Flights From Israeli Base Reveal Arms Exports to Azerbaijan". Haaretz. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Breaking: Azeri blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh". www.proquest.com. ProQuest 2847874534. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
