Michael Franco
President and Chief Financial Officer, Vornado Realty Trust
Michael J. Franco is President and Chief Financial Officer of Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO), one of the nation’s leading owners, operators and developers of commercial real estate focused primarily in New York City. Vornado’s portfolio consists of more than 27 million square feet of premier assets, concentrated in Class A office and high street retail properties in Manhattan, and includes such notable holdings as THE PENN DISTRICT – including PENN 1, PENN 2, the Farley Building and PENN 11, among others – 350 Park Avenue, 770 Broadway, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, and prime retail assets on Fifth Avenue and in Times Square; THE MART in Chicago; and 555 California Street in San Francisco. Vornado is also one of the industry leaders in sustainability and its long-standing and ongoing commitment to sustainable practices has been recognized by a wide variety of independent groups.
Prior to becoming President in 2019 and adding the Chief Financial Officer role in 2021, Mr. Franco served as Co-Head of Acquisitions and Capital Markets and then as Chief Investment Officer, where he oversaw acquisitions, dispositions and capital markets activity for the Company. Mr. Franco joined Vornado in 2010 from Morgan Stanley, where he was a Managing Director and served as Head of the Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds (MSREF) in the U.S., its flagship real estate investment opportunity fund. During his 20-year tenure with Morgan Stanley, he played an integral role in the development and growth of its real estate investing platform and led many of its most significant investments in the U.S. Over the course of his career, he has acquired and disposed of over $40 billion of real estate, including a wide variety of commercial and residential properties, non-performing loan portfolios, and several public REITs.
Mr. Franco serves as Chairman of the Board of Breaking Ground, a non-profit organization that is the largest provider of permanent supportive housing and services for homeless New Yorkers. He also serves on the board of Trey Whitfield School, an elementary school serving the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute.
Mr. Franco graduated cum laude from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a Concentration in Finance.
Mr. Franco resides in New York City with his wife and has two daughters.