The seasoned executives joining as CREO and CFO bring years of valuable experience in their respective fields to help NYBCe continue its growth
NEW YORK — New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) announced today the expansion of its executive team with two new hires. David Bench will join the company as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vaughn Ratchford as Chief Real Estate Officer (CREO).
At NYBCe, David will lead all financial aspects of the organization, overseeing financial planning, analysis, and strategic direction. As CREO, Vaughn will provide leadership in real estate strategy, site selection/growth, renewal and relocation decisions, and lease negotiations/acquisitions.
“We are proud to welcome David Bench and Vaughn Ratchford to our executive team,” said Christopher D. Hillyer, MD, President and CEO, of New York Blood Center Enterprises. “David’s experience growing and managing companies will be invaluable to our team. And I know Vaughn will be an incredible asset to NYBCe as we look for opportunities to expand our physical presence in New York and throughout the country.”
“I am elated to be joining New York Blood Center Enterprises at this exciting time in the company’s history,” said Vaughn Ratchford, Chief Real Estate Officer (CREO) of New York Blood Center Enterprises. “I look forward to supporting the organization as it begins the construction of the new Center East facility and looks to expand its donor centers in order to collect more blood donations across the nation.”
“New York Blood Center Enterprises is a proven leader in the bioscience field as well as one of the largest independent blood centers in the nation and it’s an honor to be joining this organization,” said David Bench, Chief Financial Officer (CFO). “Through strategic financial planning, I will help the organization to map out the future and fulfill its life-saving mission.”
David previously served as the Senior Vice President, CFO, Treasurer, and Corporate Secretary for Enzo Biochem, Inc., a NYSE publicly listed company, where he successfully led the convergence of clinical laboratories, life sciences, and intellectual property through the development of unique diagnostic platform technologies. David was instrumental in achieving the highest level of revenue growth in the company’s 40+ year history, while at the same time spearheading more than $15 million in annualized cost savings initiatives.
Before his work at Enzo, he was the CFO at ELLKAY, LLC., a nationwide leader in healthcare connectivity. He also served as President of DBC Group, LLC., an international transaction advisory and consulting firm. Earlier in his career, David worked at the investment banking firms of Lazard and Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder. He received his B.A. in Economics and a Master’s in International Economics and Finance, both from Brandeis University.
Vaughn previously served as Executive Vice President and head of Asset Management at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) where he oversaw the organization’s 65M square foot real estate portfolio which included office, retail, entertainment, industrial, life science, and port assets, as well as industrial and commercial campuses. His management responsibilities included overseeing the portfolio management, business operations, property management, and design and construction departments within NYCEDC’s asset management division, which entailed managing a team of 100-plus real estate professionals.
Prior to NYCEDC, Vaughn held positions with The Related Companies and Starwood Hotels and Resorts in asset management, business operations, finance, and business analytics roles. Additionally, Vaughn held positions in nonprofit and government organizations including the City University of New York’s Office of Facilities Planning, Construction and Management and the NYS Division of the Budget where he specialized in capital planning and public finance. Vaughn received his B.S. in Economics and B.S. in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master’s in Real Estate from New York University.