Debra A. Cafaro

Ventas

Debra Cafaro, CEO of Ventas, Inc., directs the top real estate investment company in providing management, leasing, marketing, facility development and advisory services to hospitals and health organizations. She’s in charge of roughly 1,200 healthcare, research and innovation and senior living properties in North America and the UK; and advises leading healthcare providers and research institutions on their financials. Since early 2020, Debra successfully led Ventas through the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis with compassion and conviction, consistently prioritizing the health and safety of her employees and 75,000 seniors residing in Ventas-owned senior living communities. For her efforts, she was awarded the Order of Lincoln, Illinois highest public service honor. Preceding Ventas, Debra was president and director of Ambassador Apartments, Inc., a practicing lawyer for 13 years, and a judicial clerk for the Honorable J. Dickson Phillips. She earned a BA from the University of Notre Dame and a JD from the University of Chicago Law School.

Year appointed: 1999