President & Executive Managing Director
Bob Ventura has more than 30 years of experience in investment banking, corporate development, acquisitions, divestitures, and business valuation. Prior to forming Ventura Group, he served as Director of Acquisitions and Divestitures and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis with Rockwell International Corporation, a $14 billion diversified manufacturing and high technology company, from 1983 to 1998. In addition, he served as a Managing Director with the investment banking firm, Raptor Partners, LLC. Bob has evaluated hundreds of potential transactions with values from a couple million into the billions and has completed numerous acquisitions and divestitures both in the United States and internationally, including manufacturing and distribution, business services, consumer products and hight technology companies with over a billion dollars in aggregate value. As an investment banker, Bob has experience representing clients on both buy-side and sell-side transactions. He has held Series 79 and 63 securities licenses.
Bob was named to the Board of Directors of First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE:FCF) in May 2004 and chairs its Compensation & Human Resources Committee, chaired its CEO Search Committee in 2011-2012 and serves on its Audit Committee. From 1998 to 2004, Bob served on the Board of Directors of GA Financial, Inc. (AMEX: GAF) and was Chairman of its Audit Committee. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Music for Mt. Lebanon and Chartiers Country Club.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Business Administration from Duquesne University. Bob completed specialized merger and acquisition executive programs at Northwestern University and the University of Virginia. He is an avid golfer and a fan of classical music.