Yes, he's different
Rob published my first book, Bitter Ice, when he had his own imprint at Wm. Morrow. My agent then told me he was the best in the business, and he lived up to that hyperbole. He was consistently supportive and encouraging; he assembled a competent, professional and caring team to work with me, and I really like working with him and everyone at Wm. Morrow. The day Harper/Collins bought Wm. Morrow the music stopped. Rob and everyone I'd worked with left, and I and my book were in the hands of people who were incompetent, unprofessinal, and didn't give a damn. The new publicist, for example, took three months to write an adolescent and inaccurate gush in which she got my name wrong and made it obvious she had never read the book.
I count it as a great honor and frankly rather amazing that Rob has kept in touch with me, continues to nudge me along, and is interested in my work. He is savvy, smart, does know everyone and perhaps most important, he's kind and cares about writing and writers. If anyone can live up to the model created by Maxwell Perkins, it's Rob, and I want him to represent me.