Our Leadership

Mr. Eskenazy joined Cogir Management USA team as Chief Executive Officer in November 2021, having served as Cogir’s Chairman of the Board since the start of 2020. David last served as President of Merrill Gardens, and previously was the Chief Financial Officer for Aegis Living. Prior to that, he spent 20 years with RC Hedreen Co., a Seattle based hotel development company, and for 16 years was a member of the board of directors for Outerwall (NASD: OUTR), parent company for Redbox and Coinstar, prior to its acquisition by Apollo. He currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the California Assisted Living Association.

Gottfried Ernst is an established operations executive with 20+ years of experience within the hospitality and senior living industries. He’s a multiple award winner best known for shaping the strategies, processes, and programs behind highly efficient and customer-focused communities.

He adds value as a bold leader who knows how to impact positive change, secure buy-in, and act as a conduit to ensure management strategies and vision are adopted across all departments and business lines.

After obtaining his degree in Hospitality Management and Tourism from HLT Semmering in Austria, Gottfried worked in management roles at several 4- and 5-star hotels in Austria, Switzerland, and the UK. In 2002, he started his career in the senior housing industry at Brookdale Senior Living, the nation’s largest Senior Housing operator. Over his 16-year tenure at Brookdale, he held field and corporate leadership positions and progressed to vice president overseeing all aspects of food and beverage operations for over 600 locations. Gottfried was inducted into Brookdale’s President Circle in 2005 and was vital in developing and implementing several Argentum award-winning programs.

In 2018, Gottfried started as Vice President at Green Courte Partners LLC, a private real estate investment firm. In his role, he provided oversight of Operation and all resident experience functions of Green Courte’s Senior Housing portfolio.

Most recently, Gottfried held the SVP of Operations position at Discovery Senior Living Management LLC, overseeing the day-to-day Operations, Sales, Data Analysis, Asset Management, Operational Transition and Growth Strategy, Performance Improvement as well as various corporate support services such as Resident Engagement, Culinary, Maintenance, Capital Planning, Billing, Administrative, Clinical, and Memory Care functions,

Gottfried is a proven innovator with a reputation for designing cutting-edge programs that enhance the prospect and resident experience. Leveraging his expert knowledge and prior experience, he navigated critical operations challenges, including technology and systems integrations, local, state, and federal regulatory compliance, budgeting and forecasting and managing operating costs.

In the earlier years of his career, Gottfried partook in several bartending competitions and was the winner of a national cooking competition, “Goldenes Reindl” in Vienna, Austria. Gottfried serves on several boards and recently joined the Revelry Group’s advisory board.

Robert has an over 25-year career in the real estate industry. He has held CFO or senior financial management positions with several large real estate companies, including Meritage Homes, Walton Development and Management, MCO Properties, Sun State Builders and Cordillera. He has financed nearly $3 billion of real estate development projects and joint ventures located throughout the southern United States.

Rob brings over 25 years of real estate and legal experience to Cogir. He was most recently a Principal and Co-Founder of Cadence Living. Prior to Cadence, he was the President and Chief Operating Officer for a Canadian-based real estate private equity group of companies, where he directed the growth of U.S. operations from 2007 to 2016.

Eric has over 30 years of senior housing and real estate development experience. From 1989 to 2001, he served as President and CFO of the Southwest Retirement Corporation in Scottsdale, AZ. At Southwest, Eric managed 150 employees and over 1,600 senior housing units in retirement communities from Texas to Arizona.

Kristine leads our sales and marketing teams, overseeing all aspects of the sales processes to ensure that our prospective residents and their loved ones feel welcomed into our communities and experience our teams’ compassion, dedication, and drive to improve people’s lives. Kristine works closely with our communities, creating partnerships and opportunities that leverage our market position as best-in-class.

Kristine was drawn to Cogir, inspired by the human focus, creativity, and excellency in operations. Prior to Cogir, she spent the last ten years at another family business, Merrill Gardens, where she set company records for occupancy and revenue growth, specializing in new developments.

Dana is a strategic HR leader with more than 15 years of progressive experience growing effective teams and developing adaptive HR frameworks across various industries. She is a collaborative partner and coach in shaping high-performing cultures with robust development programs and transforming HR organizations into cost effective strategic entities. Dana is particularly experienced in the areas of employee relations and leadership development. She believes in a strengths-based approach and has a passion for supporting employees in achieving their top potential.

Holly has 20 years of senior living experience and has served in positions like Regional Director of Operations, Corporate Compliance Officer and Director of Licensing and Regulatory Compliance. She has also worked for Sunrise Senior Living, Integral Senior Living and Stonecrest Senior Living. Additionally, Holly is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and previously taught the Certified Assisted Living Director (CALD) training course for her state’s chapter of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). Holly has a Masters of Healthcare Administration and a Masters of Business Administration.

Anthony leads the company’s effort in budgeting, forecasting, special reporting, and operational analysis. This includes underwriting of new business ventures, as well as inward facing KIP analytics design to measure and improve operational efficiencies. Anthony has 10 years of experience in the industry, prior to joining Cogir he worked as the Investor Relations Manager and Analyst for Aegis Living underwriting new developments and acquisitions.

Ben is a highly accomplished executive with multiple years of experience in the senior housing industry and real estate management. Benoit (Ben) is driven by the unrelenting pursuit of excellence, creativity, and outstanding customer experience. Ben is an expert in operations with a solid background in finance, technology, and Mergers & Acquisitions. He has led multiple successful acquisitions that supported the exponential growth of the operations of Cogir Senior Living in the US market. Ben has a proven track record of success in business development, turnaround of challenging operations and offers robust knowledge of current trends in gerontology care, state regulations and maximization of the operational efficiencies. Ben is also a part of the 40 for the Future advocacy group that is partnering with the American Senior Housing Association (ASHA) to make a real and lasting impact in the Senior Living industry.

Prior to joining COGIR, Ben was managing a major distribution portfolio for a worldwide manufacturer, Tarkett (OTCMKTS: TKFTF). He attended HEC Montréal and Cégep Régional de Lanaudière, where he studied business administration and management.

Tracy is a highly accomplished health care professional with over 20 years of experience in the senior living industry. Before joining Cogir, she held roles with Cadence, Atria Senior Living, Sierra Pointe Management, Brookdale and Encore Senior Living. Beginning her career as a caregiver and working her way up to head operations, Tracy has been involved with every aspect of senior housing. She has a proven record of success in business development, is adept at leading cross-functional teams and offers strong knowledge of current trends in gerontology care, state regulations and compliance standards for senior care facilities.

Tyler has over 10 years of experience in senior living operations, marketing, accounting and has a true passion for our senior population.  He currently serves as a member of the North Carolina Assisted Living Association Board of Directors.  Tyler has functioned in various operational roles in his tenure with Cogir. In his prior experience he held Executive Director roles for various senior living providers including Brookdale Senior Living and Enlivant Senior Living. His drive for success shines through as a leader by fostering an exceptional environment for teams to achieve optimal business performance. Tyler earned a bachelor’s degree in Organization and Public Communication with a minor in Business Administration from Appalachian State University.