LEADERSHIP

John Foresi – CEO, Co-founder and Director

As Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Venterra, John is responsible for the overall management and growth of Venterra. In addition to his broader responsibilities, he invests considerable time developing Venterra’s conservative macro economic views; and ensuring that Venterra’s financial transactional activities are consistent with these views, to deliver the highest possible risk-adjusted returns for its investors.

John has held senior executive positions in several technology companies, focusing on supply chain and customer relationship management. He also held senior management positions in transportation, consumer product industries, and investment banking, where he was responsible for valuations, mergers, and acquisitions. John has been recognized as a national ‘Top 40 Under 40’ award winner and as a top 100-impact executive by B2B Magazine. He is a former board member of Salt + Light Television and former member of YPO Upper Canada. John is the past Chapter Chair of the YPO Ontario Gold Chapter and has held positions of Education Chair and Vice Chair. He is also a current member of the Chief Executive Organization.

John holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Andrew Stewart – Chairman, Co-founder and Director

Andrew’s oversight includes strategic direction for the company, corporate governance, investor relationships, and all executional components of acquisitions, divestitures, and refinancings. He also oversees the continued build-out of Venterra’s advanced management and operational information systems; developing and deploying sophisticated mathematical optimization models to drive superior operating results.

Andrew’s extensive experience includes executive management of several software and technology development companies, as well as automotive engineering and operations management. Andrew is Chairman of Spring Rains, an organization that provides entrepreneurs in developing nations access to capital and training.

Andrew holds a Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence from Queen’s University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University and TH Karlsruhe (Germany).

Richard Roos – Chief Operating Officer

Richard joined Venterra in November 2002. Since that time, Richard has taken on successively greater responsibility and now provides Executive Leadership to Venterra’s operating divisions. These include Property and Asset Management, Construction Services, Accounting Operations, ground up Development and Technology.  Richard is responsible for ensuring high levels of execution across the organization, that have resulted in exceptional portfolio performance, earning Venterra the reputation as an innovator and leader.  As member of the Investment Committee, Richard plays a key role in the identification and evaluation of new strategic opportunities and he participates in all investment decisions.

Prior to joining Venterra, Richard held a senior financial position with a technology focused sales and marketing solution provider for the Real Estate Development Industry. Prior to that, Richard was a manager in the corporate finance group at BDO Dunwoody LP, focusing on business valuations and acquisition due diligence.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Accounting with First Class Honors from Brock University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).

Calvin Lee-Young – Vice President, Finance

Calvin joined Venterra in June 2004 as Assistant Controller, progressively taking on increasingly senior roles. As Vice President of Finance, he directs all capital market activities including accounting, financial reporting, treasury, taxation and investor relations. He fills an instrumental role in executing our corporate and investor governance practices and is the primary interface for day-to-day communications with our Investor Partners.

Before joining Venterra, Calvin was a manager in the Audit and Assurance group of Deloitte & Touche LLP, where his client base was primarily focused on commercial, retail and public sector real estate.

Calvin holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).

Dror Goldberg – Chief Acquisitions Officer

Dror has been directly involved in Real Estate finance for the past 15 years, 12 of those focused specifically on Multi-family. His responsibilities include oversight for the underwriting and acquisition of assets for Venterra’s growing portfolio of quality investments. Under his leadership, the team is also charged with identifying good prospects for follow on financing and strategic input around market assessment, and the potential disposition of assets. Dror brings broad real estate experience to Venterra. His prior roles include work with Bank of America Securities Real Estate Investment Banking group where he largely focused on private market investments/transactions. After his time as an investment banker Dror served as the CFO of a Multi-family investment fund and Director of Capital Markets for a private equity fund, both of whom were focused on the Multi-family industry.

Dror holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas and a dual degree in Economics and Government Studies from Claremont McKenna College.

Bryan George – Executive Vice President of Property and Asset Management

Bryan has more than 15 years of Multi-family experience in various Real Estate ownership and operation leadership positions. Bryan joined Venterra in March 2011 and has since taken on successively increasing responsibility leading to his currently role overseeing all ongoing Property and Asset Management Operations.

His focus on challenging the standard expectations of Multi-family management by utilizing innovative management techniques and world class customer service ensures Venterra’s portfolio achieves its full financial potential. He has conceived and executed numerous industry-leading operating initiatives that have solidified Venterra as a top tier operator in the Multi-family industry. Some of the more notable Venterra achievements during his time at the company include being recognized by Fortune Magazine as a Top 100 Best Medium Workplaces for 5 years running (#20 overall, #2 Texas in 2020) and outperforming all public Multi-family REIT on the key NOI growth performance metric for more than 8 years, while producing industry leading customer experience ratings.

Bryan is an integral contributor in assessing new investment opportunities and for the oversight of Venterra’s Asset Management group.

Prior to joining Venterra, Bryan spent 7 years at Apartment Management and Investment Company (AIMCO). He has an undergraduate degree in Business Management and Communications, as well as an MBA from the University of Wyoming.

Andrew Basso – Vice President, Technology

Andrew started with Venterra in 2006 as a Software Developer and has been instrumental in the development of Venterra’s world-class software solutions and integrations.  Andrew has led the advancement of technology in all facets of the business and is responsible for security, infrastructure, intelligent solutions, automation, and continuous improvement.  As Vice President of Technology, Andrew focuses on strengthening Venterra’s operating platform with technology and innovation by leading efforts across multiple teams located in the US, Canada, and Europe.

Andrew holds a BSc at the University of Toronto and has over two decades of experience in the technology industry.

Stephanie Gonzalez – Vice President, Property & Customer Innovation

Stephanie Gonzalez serves as Vice President of Innovation at Venterra Realty. She is a respected, results-driven leader with over 15 years of experience leading digital transformation in the Multi-family industry. With a keen interest in consumer behavior, she takes great pride in turning the impossible into reality through creative problem solving, data, resourcefulness, and great intuition.

Stephanie is responsible for bringing innovative ideas and processes into Venterra and has led many successful transformations. In 2017, she designed a proprietary solution and the industry’s first free, online rental application which returns an approval within minutes while satisfying investor concerns. More recently, she led the creative thought process for and co-implemented a solution that offers renters a significant discount for enrolling in autopay while meeting the business requirements. She also has oversight responsibilities for the performance of the Marketing, Customer Experience, Sales and Communications departments, where innovation is needed most for meeting the needs of the future renter.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Business Degree from the University of North Texas and as a lifelong learner, feels her more relevant learnings come from reading, listening to podcasts, and watching consumer trends. She serves with her esteemed colleagues on The Innovation and Emerging Technology Committee for the National Multi-family Housing Council (NMHC) and has obtained several certifications through MIT, the American Marketing Association (AMA), and Google. She is currently being interviewed for CHIEF, a private network for successful woman in leadership. Stephanie is highly regarded in the industry, has spoken at major events and on various podcasts further serving the Multi-family industry.

She firmly believes when the desire is present, there is always a way.

Quin Willis – Vice President of Property Management

Quin Willis is an accomplished Property Management professional with extensive experience in the Multi-family industry, excelling in improving portfolio performance and building teams. Quin joined Venterra in 2018 as an Asset Manager before progressing to Senior Director of Property Management in 2020, and now holds the position of Vice President of Property Management.

With a focus on revenue optimization through strategic initiatives, Quin is responsible for driving property performance for Venterra’s portfolio of communities including Midrise, Class A Garden, Converted Industry Lofts, Mixed-Use, HOA, and Affordable Housing. She specializes in promoting a service-centric community environment for residents, creating value for all investors and engaging onsite teams.

Quin holds a Bachelor of Sociology & a Bachelors of Philosophy Degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Additionally, Quin serves as Vice President at Large for Houston Apartment Association and sits on the board at both the Houston Apartment Association and Texas Apartment Association.

Maria Rico – Vice President of Finance, Real Estate

Maria Rico joined Venterra in June 2022 with over 20 years of commercial real estate experience. She is a results-oriented finance executive with extensive experience in fast-paced, demanding business environments combined with excellent team building and collaboration skills. As Vice President of Finance, Real Estate, Maria oversees the Accounting Operations Team which includes the Property Accounting, Finance, Accounts Payable and Payroll functions. She is currently leading Venterra’s Financial and Human Capital Management business transformation project.

Maria has extensive experience with publicly listed companies, private companies, and pension funds with strong technical accounting skills (IFRS) focused on the real estate industry.  She started her career in the external audit practise of Ernst & Young LLP where her client base was primarily focused on the commercial real estate and retail sectors.

Maria holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).

Shane Nemmers – Vice President of Construction and Facilities

Shane Nemmers is the Vice President of Construction and Facilities. He is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience in the Multi-family arena. In his role, Shane is responsible for Capital Expenditures, Maintenance, Procurement, and Design Services.

Shane brings a high level of expertise to value-add construction, renovation, facilities, operations, and asset preservation. His tactical leadership style and commitment to excellence align with his responsibilities to enhance Venterra’s strategic efforts in advancing sustainability, growth, and efficiencies. He takes a solution-oriented approach to problem solving.

Shane has a track record of success with Garden Style, Mid-Rise, and High-Rise communities for market rate, affordable, and mixed-use assets. His experience includes senior leadership roles with Waterton Residential, Greystar, Buckingham Co, and Prime Residential.

Shane attended the College of DuPage for Business Management and EPA/HVAC+R.

Colleen Dean – Vice President of Asset Management

Serving as Vice President of Asset Management, Colleen Dean is responsible for the execution of Venterra’s investment strategy across the entire portfolio, with a primary focus on creating and maximizing investor value through active asset management.  Colleen has extensive experience managing the full lifecycle of Multi-family real estate and applies this knowledge to Venterra’s continued growth in the industry to ensure its successful implementation of Venterra initiatives and strategic business plans on each and every asset.

Prior to Venterra, Colleen was the VP of Asset Management for Ilan Investments where she was directly responsible for the oversight of more than 20,000 units, including performing the underwriting and due diligence on more than $1.2B in acquisitions during her 13-year tenure.  Colleen has been active in the Multi-family industry since 2005 when she worked as an underwriter for the Hanover Company, contributing to the successful development of high-quality Multi-family and mixed-use properties throughout the U.S.

Colleen is a proud graduate of Tulane University with a Masters in Finance and a BBA in Accounting and Finance.