After a successful inaugural year in business, VIUM Capital clearly has ambitions for much more. The firm, which was started in April 2020 by Steve Kennedy and Kass Matt, just hired four more experienced bankers to join its roster. Columbus, OH-based Chris Blanda and Brendan Healy, Austin, TX-based Scott Blount, and Boca Raton, FL-based Tony Ruberg all joined VIUM as Senior Managing Directors. Together, these four have closed over $3 billion of seniors housing and healthcare financings across their combined half century of industry experience.
Both Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Matt came from Lancaster Pollard, and so did these four new hires, although Mr. Ruberg had a year as Managing Director at Arbor Realty Trust most recently before joining VIUM. Austin, Texas-based Mr. Blount, who was at Lancaster Pollard for 10 years, will focus on origination in the South Central and Southwest regions, in addition to mentoring VIUM’s analyst pool. His prior coaching experience for the women’s soccer teams at the University of Texas and University of Tennessee should come in handy.
Messrs. Blanda and Healy, who were at Lancaster Pollard for seven and a half and 11 and a half years, respectively, will focus their efforts across the Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Both are based in Columbus, Ohio. Finally, Boca Raton, Florida-based Mr. Ruberg will take the East Coast. After a very successful year-one, and now with this team in place, our expectations are high for VIUM’s second year in business. Our expectations are high, but not our doubts.
