Leadership

Mr. Leer is President and Chief Executive Officer of AlerisLife, for which he had previously served as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining AlerisLife, Mr. Leer served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Office Properties Income Trust and as Senior Vice President of The RMR Group LLC, where he has been responsible for the day to day oversight of the accounting and finance support functions of The RMR Group and its various affiliates. Previously, Mr. Leer held various accounting and finance positions at several multi-national Fortune 500 companies as well as the public accounting firm, Vitale, Caturano PC (predecessor to RSM). Mr. Leer is also a certified public accountant.

Ms. Pereira is Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of AlerisLife. Prior to joining AlerisLife, Ms. Pereira served as Vice President and Corporate Controller of Acushnet Holdings Corp. since May of 2017 and previously held various accounting and finance roles at the company, which she joined in 2004. Ms. Pereira has over 20 years of accounting and finance experience and holds a Master’s degree in Accountancy and Masters of Business Administration from Northeastern University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College.

Michael Lopez joined AlerisLife in 2022 in the role of Chief People Officer, responsible for architecting a talent strategy to support brand expansion and leading the entire Human Resources function. Prior to Five Star and AlerisLife, Michael led the HR teams at Royal Caribbean International and Athleta, as well as served in senior HR positions at Starbucks and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Michael shares the Five Star and AlerisLife value of putting people first, informed by his depth of experience in leadership development, organizational effectiveness and service culture. A Connecticut native, he is also an avid fitness, health and adventure travel enthusiast.

Mr. Benjamson is Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of AlerisLife. He has over 25 years of leadership experience in the senior living, hospitality and multifamily industries and most recently served as Vice President of Senior Housing Operations for Trinity Health Senior Communities. Previously, Mr. Benjamson was the Chief Operating Officer at Resort Lifestyle Communities from 2018 to 2021 and the Chief Operating Officer at Blake Management Group from 2016 to 2018. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development from the University of California, Davis.

Susan joined Aleris Life in 2022 after a short sabbatical from leadership roles across numerous industries in the public, private and non-profit sectors. It was during this time that she navigated senior living options for her aging mother. This first-hand experience has become Susan’s driving force to help others understand and appreciate all that Aleris Life has to offer. Susan's marketing acumen was honed at some of the top brands in the footwear and apparel categories. Most recently, Susan was Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for The Rockport Group. She has also lead marketing for Saucony, Clarks and Sperry-Topsider. Beyond shoes, Susan was Vice President of Marketing for Airstream, Chief Marketing Officer at Renovia and Chief Development and Marketing Officer for a non-profit organization dedicated to adults with disabilities. Susan graduated from the University of New Hampshire where she was a member of its NCAA Champion lacrosse team. A life-long learner, she has recently earned executive education certificates from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern and Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Melinda Skirvin joined Five Star Senior Living in 2005 as the Executive Director of Park Summit in Coral Springs, Florida. Since then, Ms. Skirvin has served as a Regional Director of Operations, Divisional Vice President and was most recently promoted to Chief Wellness Officer in January of 2023. She has more than 35 years of successful experiences in all facets of senior healthcare and senior living services and a passion for older adults and the team members who serve them. Ms. Skirvin is a Registered Nurse, has earned Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master’s in Healthcare Administration, and has certifications in Assisted Living Administration, Wellness, and Dementia.

Jennifer Montero began her career in senior living as a Sales Director in Charlotte, NC with Holiday Retirement. During her 8-year tenure, where she proudly learned the trade for the ground up, Ms. Montero advanced through the ranks of sales and operational management and ultimately was named District Vice President of Sales. In 2017, she had the opportunity to join Greystar Real Estate Partners to help create their Active Adult platform. In the Spring of 2020, she joined the Operations Team at Resort Lifestyle Communities and eventually served as Vice President of Pre-Open and Lease Up Communities. Jennifer a tried and true Floridian, was born in Miami, and received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Central Florida.