Debra Cafaro

Cafaro was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a working class Catholic family. She has one younger sister. Her mother, Dee Francis, was first-generation Lebanese{{cite news|url=http://www.mcknights.com/profile-having-the-reit-stuff--debra-cafaro-ceo-ventas-inc/article/101952/|author=Julie Williamson|title=Having the REIT stuff -- Debra Cafaro, CEO, Ventas Inc.|publisher=McKnights|date=July 14, 2005|access-date=May 25, 2014}} who grew up in an Arabic speaking household in Washington, Pennsylvania. Her father was born in Pittsburgh to a first-generation Italian family with 11 children. His immigrant father and mother owned restaurants and bars; her father worked as a letter carrier for the US Postal Service. Cafaro married Terrance K. Livingston in 1983. They have two adult children and reside in suburban Chicago.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/09/19/nothing-ventured-nothing-gained-for-the-head-of-the-nations-largest-public-reit/|author=Alejandra Cancino|title=Nothing ventured, nothing gained for the head of the nation's largest public REIT|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=September 19, 2011|access-date=May 25, 2014}}{{cite news|author=Ann Therese Palmer|title=Ventas Inc. CEO Debra Cafaro credits Pittsburgh roots, sports for her strong foundation|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2009/06/22/steel-city-laid-strong-foundation/|access-date=June 22, 2009|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=June 22, 2009}}

Cafaro received her B.A. in government economics magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1979 and her J.D. cum laude in 1982 from The University of Chicago Law School.{{cite web|title=Ventas, Inc..|url=https://www.ventasreit.com/investor-relations/stock-and-dividend-information|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907230339/http://www.ventasreit.com/investor-relations/stock-and-dividend-information|archive-date=September 7, 2015}}{{Cite web |date=2014-07-15 |title=Two new members elected to University of Chicago Board of Trustees {{!}} University of Chicago News |url=https://news.uchicago.edu/story/two-new-members-elected-university-chicago-board-trustees |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=news.uchicago.edu |language=en}} During Law School, she was the research assistant for Edward H. Levi, the former President of the university and Attorney General of the United States. She had summer associate stints at the law firms Jones Day in Cleveland (1980), Debevoise & Plimpton in New York (1981) and Cleary Gottlieb in New York (1982). In 1982–83, Cafaro served as a judicial clerk to the Hon. J. Dickson Phillips, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. From 1983 to 1997, Cafaro practiced real estate, corporate and finance law, while she also taught real estate transactions and finance as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School from 1988 to 1992. She joined Ambassador Apartments Inc. (NYSE:AAH), a multifamily REIT, as president and a director, in 1997 where she helped sell the company.{{cite news|url=http://www.rejournals.com/2011/10/19/debra-cafaro-leads-ventas-through-a-decade-of-success/|author=Mark Thomton|title=Debra Cafaro leads Ventas through a decade of success|publisher=RE Journals|date=October 19, 2011|access-date=May 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528010524/http://www.rejournals.com/2011/10/19/debra-cafaro-leads-ventas-through-a-decade-of-success/|archive-date=May 28, 2014|url-status=dead}}

Cafaro was hired as president and chief executive officer to rescue Ventas, a healthcare REIT, in 1999.{{cite news|url=http://realtytimes.com/todaysheadlines1/item/22843-19990310_rupventas |title=Ventas REIT taps Debra Cafaro as new CEO|publisher=Reality Times|date=March 9, 1999|access-date=May 25, 2014}} Her initial actions at Ventas were to restructure the bank debt and lead a global consensual restructuring of its main tenant, Vencor, so Vencor could emerge from bankruptcy (renamed Kindred Healthcare, Inc.){{cite news|last=Barron's|date=July 30, 2001|title=Intrinsic worth|publisher=Barron's|url=http://online.barrons.com/news/articles/SB99628599258753242?tesla=y|access-date=July 30, 2001}}

At the time of Cafaro’s hiring in 1999, Ventas’s equity valuation was $200 million. As of 2009 this had risen to $7 billion, and it has continued to more than $30 billion in 2025.{{Cite web |last=Hymowitz |first=Carol |title=Ventas Chief Debra Cafaro's Recipe For Success |url=https://www.forbes.com/2010/04/27/reit-female-executive-forbes-woman-leadership-boss-10-debra-cafaro.html |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-27 |title=Ventas CEO Debra Cafaro Sees Strong Opportunity for Growth Ahead |url=https://www.reit.com/news/reit-magazine/november-december-2022/ventas-ceo-debra-cafaro-sees-strong-opportunity-growth |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=www.reit.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Fortune 500 |url=https://fortune.com/ranking/fortune500/2025/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Fortune |language=en}} Throughout the 2008 financial crisis Cafaro led Ventas though a defensive investment cycle, which helped the company fundraise and recover faster than peers.

Cafaro has since overseen Ventas’ ownership of approximately 1,350 properties in North America and the United Kingdom. This includes over 800 senior housing communities, making it one of the largest senior-housing owners in the country, along with other outpatient medical buildings, research centers and healthcare facilities.{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Peter |title=Senior Housing Rebounds as Boomers Move In |url=https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/senior-housing-rebounds-as-boomers-move-in-0369536e?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1 |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=WSJ |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-27 |title=CEO Debra Cafaro Leads The Way at Health Care REIT Ventas |url=https://www.reit.com/news/reit-magazine/july-august-2016/ceo-debra-cafaro-leads-way-health-care-reit-ventas |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=www.reit.com |language=en}}

Cafaro has appeared on CNBC and been quoted in The Wall Street Journal describing real estate trends for senior housing and aging demographics.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=Ventas CEO Debra Cafaro on rising interest rates, senior housing supply and demand |url=https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/09/06/ventas-ceo-debra-cafaro-on-rising-interest-rates-senior-housing-supply-and-demand.html |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=CNBC |language=en}}

She has also served on the board of PNC Financial Services since August 2017 and is a member of The University of Chicago’s Board of Trustees.{{Cite news |date=August 10, 2017 |title=PNC Financial Services appoints Debra Cafaro to board of directors |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/business/pnc-financial-services-appoints-debra-cafaro-to-board-of-directors-idUSASB0BF6Z/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite web |date=2014-07-15 |title=Two new members elected to University of Chicago Board of Trustees {{!}} University of Chicago News |url=https://news.uchicago.edu/story/two-new-members-elected-university-chicago-board-trustees |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=news.uchicago.edu |language=en}}

In 2016, Cafaro became an owner and member of the management committee of the Pittsburgh Penguins, a National Hockey League team, who won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/19617041/2017-stanley-cup-finals-winners-losers-stanley-cup-playoffs|title=Winners and losers of the Stanley Cup playoffs|work=ESPN.com|access-date=June 19, 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Soshnick|first1=Scott|title=Pittsburgh Mailman's Daughter-Turned-CEO Drops $25 Million on Her Beloved Penguins|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-02/ventas-ceo-debra-cafaro-said-to-seek-minority-stake-in-penguins|access-date=December 2, 2016|publisher=Bloomberg News}} She is also part of the ownership group of the National Women’s Soccer League Chicago Red Stars and part owner of Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles.{{Cite web |title=Sale of NWSL's Chicago Red Stars to group led by MLB's Cubs co-owner is finalized |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/sale-of-nwsls-chicago-red-stars-to-group-led-by-mlbs-cubs-co-owner-is-finalized |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=FOX Sports |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Orioles Staff Directory {{!}} Baltimore Orioles |url=https://www.mlb.com/orioles/team/front-office |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kostka |first=Andy |date=2024-08-01 |title=David Rubenstein-led group buys last remaining shares of the Orioles |url=https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/orioles-david-rubenstein-michael-arougheti-buy-full-ownership-E77CRUA3VBE5JAOY6AYS4YDORY/ |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=The Baltimore Banner |language=en}}

In 2011 Cafaro was named a Top 50 Woman in World Business by the Financial Times.{{Cite web |title=The top 50 women in world business 2011 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/68e02aa0-0f18-11e1-b585-00144feabdc0 |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=www.ft.com |language=en-GB}} In 2016 and 2017 she was also named in Forbes’ list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.{{Cite web |title=Debra Cafaro - 2016-04-22 - The World's Most Powerful Women In Business 2016 |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/elli45mhfh/debra-cafaro/ |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Howard |first=Caroline |title=The 19 Most Powerful Women In Business 2017: CEOs And More With Ambitious Goals |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2017/11/01/the-19-most-powerful-women-in-business-2017-ceos-and-more-with-ambitious-goals/ |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

Cafaro was listed as one of the best performing CEOs in the world for six years by the Harvard Business Review, until the list was discontinued in 2020.{{Cite journal |date=November 2019 |title=The Best-Performing CEOs in the World, 2019 |url=https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-ceo-100-2019-edition |journal=Harvard Business Review}}

In 2022 she received the Order of Lincoln Award from The Lincoln Academy of Illinois’, the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service.{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2022 |title=Governor Pritzker Announces the 2022 Order of Lincoln Recipients |url=https://financialpost.com/pmn/press-releases-pmn/business-wire-news-releases-pmn/ventas-chairman-and-ceo-debra-a-cafaro-to-receive-2022-order-of-lincoln |access-date=March 2, 2025 |website=Illinois.gov}}

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Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:American health care businesspeople

Category:American businesspeople in real estate

Category:Businesspeople from Pittsburgh

Category:American people of Italian descent

Category:American people of Lebanese descent

Category:Lawyers from Pittsburgh

Category:People associated with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Category:American women chief executives

Category:Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters alumni

Category:University of Chicago Law School alumni

Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Category:21st-century American women

Category:University of Chicago trustees