Mr. Merrill is the Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Harrison Street, a real assets investment management firm with over $65 billion in AUM as of 2Q 2023. He co-founded the firm in 2005, with a focus on demographic-driven, needs-based assets such as senior housing, student housing, healthcare delivery, life sciences and storage real estate as well as social and utility infrastructure. Mr. Merrill is the largest individual shareholder of Harrison Street and serves as Chairman of the Board and the Investment and Executive Committees.

Prior to co-founding Harrison Street, Mr. Merrill was a partner, owner and Managing Director of a large U.S. pension fund advisory firm where he developed the firm’s presence in Europe, creating the first ever real estate funds exclusively targeting the markets of Central Europe.

Throughout his career, Mr. Merrill has been awarded numerous distinctions from leading publications and institutions, most recently being recognized as PERE’s Industry Figure of the Year: Global for the year 2022. Mr. Merrill is a member of YPO, Economic Club of Chicago, and Chicago Commonwealth Club. He serves on the board of PREA, Rush University Medical Board (Facilities Committee), University of Wisconsin Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, TCU Center for Real Estate, Roanoke College, the real estate advisory board of Gore Creek, The First Tee of Greater Chicago, Salisbury School, and Chicago Botanic Garden (Financial Committee). He is also an active angel investor in many early-stage companies. Mr. Merrill earned a BA in Economics from Roanoke College and his MBA from the CASS School of Business in London, England.