Jim Leider is the Chairman and CEO of Leider Horticultural Companies, a large-scale nursery and plant distributor headquartered in Buffalo Grove, IL.  In 1963, Mr. Leider formed the company Tropical Plant Rentals, which grew to be the largest plant interiorscaper in the US.  In 1988, he sold Tropical Plant Rentals to Rentokil, an international service company based in the UK. Since then, he has held several leadship positions within Leider Horticultural Companies.

Mr. Leider is currently a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Botanic Garden, as well as serving on the board of Hortica Insurance, Bachman’s, Dickson Corporation, and Kennicott Brothers.  He has served as President of the Society of American Florists President, Chairman of the Board of the American Floral Endowment, and is a Past Chairman and International President of the Chicago Chapter of the Young President’s Organization, as well as holding the same positions with the Chief Executive’s Organization.  Mr. Leider’s received a degree in Business Administration and Finance from Northwestern University and Floricultural Science from Cornell University. He has served for several years on the Seeley Conference Board at Cornell.  In 2009, Mr. Leider was inducted into the Society of American Florists Floriculture Hall of Fame.

Mr. Leider joined the GSky Board of Directors in August 2010 (click here to read the Press Release).