Ventas taps Probst as CFO

Real estate investment trust Ventas, a dominant player in the healthcare real estate space, has hired Robert Probst as its next CFO.

Probst, 46, will oversee the financial operations of Chicago-based Ventas starting in October. Ventas, one of the largest healthcare REITs in the country, owns the properties of more than 1,500 senior-living facilities, skilled-nursing facilities, medical office buildings and hospitals, as of June 30.

And Ventas is primed to be getting even larger. The REIT is waiting to finalize its $2.6 billion acquisition of American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.

Probst previously served as CFO of Beam, the parent company of several hard liquor brands including Jim Beam bourbon. Probst also worked in the healthcare industry as the vice president of Baxter International’s medication-delivery business line.

“With nearly 25 years of experience in finance and capital markets within multiple industries, Bob has overseen significant shareholder value creation through efficiency, strategy, and mergers and acquisitions,” Ventas CEO Debra Cafaro said in a statement. “He will add meaningful international depth to the Ventas team.”

Ventas has not yet disclosed how much Probst will make. Richard Schweinhart, Ventas’ retiring CFO, made $2.5 million in salary, stocks and incentives in 2013 and more than $7.4 million over the past three years combined.

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