As Senior Managing Director, Investments, Russo is focused on expanding the Company’s investment opportunities with institutional owners of healthcare real estate. He oversees acquisitions, loans, business restructurings, strategic transactions, construction and development and underwriting for all investment activity. He also supports the development of investment strategy and subsequently crafts and executes on related investment opportunities for Ventas and Ventas Investment Management (VIM), in partnership with the Investments and VIM teams, to grow the Company, the Fund and our joint ventures.

Prior to joining Ventas in 2025, Russo was Managing Director at Lazard in the Real Estate and Lodging Investment Banking Group, where he led the firm’s coverage of the healthcare real estate sector. During an 18-year career at Lazard, Russo advised on and executed a variety of acquisitions, dispositions, partnerships, investments, financings, restructurings, recapitalizations and other strategic business initiatives. He also focused on real estate investment management companies, helping clients grow and transform their businesses both through strategic transactions and capital raising.

Russo earned his B.A. in Economics (cum laude) from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in Real Estate, Finance and Entrepreneurship.