Brookdale Senior Living Names Stengle Chief Executive Officer
October 20, 2025
NASHVILLE, TN — Brookdale Senior Living Inc. announced in a press release the appointment of Nick Stengle as chief executive officer and as a member of the Brookdale Board of Directors. Stengle succeeds Denise W. Warren, who served as interim CEO since April of 2025 and who will resume her role as non-executive chairman of the board.
Stengle, whose appointment is the result of a comprehensive search led by the Board’s Search Committee, brings to Brookdale a deep understanding of the senior living, healthcare, and hospitality industries with extensive leadership and operations experience, including in multi-site, geographically dispersed healthcare settings. Since 2022, he has served as president/CEO of Gentiva, a provider of hospice, palliative, and home health services with over 12,000 associates and approximately 550 locations across 38 states. Prior to that, he served as EVP/COO for Sunrise Senior Living, where he led all community operations, sales, marketing, and clinical operations for approximately 250 communities, providing care to more than 20,000 residents. Additionally, during his 11-year career with the United States Air Force, Stengle served in a variety of leadership positions, including as a top gun instructor pilot, combat fighter pilot, flight commander, and deputy director of operations. He has also led major transformation projects as a member of the portfolio operations team at global investment firm TPG Capital and he led North American operations for HMSHost International with more than 30,000 employees and hospitality operations in 84 airports and 105 motorway travel plazas. Stengle also served as VP of global operations for Marriott International and was a project leader for the Boston Consulting Group, where he led engagements focused on strategic growth, operational process improvement, pricing strategy, and organizational design.
“While I have enjoyed my time as interim CEO, I am confident Nick has the strategic acumen, vision, and leadership skills to build on our strong momentum at this pivotal point in Brookdale’s history,” said Warren. “His impressive track record of driving durable operational performance while building a culture of teamwork, excellence, and accountability uniquely positions him to ensure the company thrives by continuing to provide high quality care and experiences for our residents and our associates, with emphasis on growing our Adjusted EBITDA and unlocking the significant amount of intrinsic value in Brookdale.”
“I’ve long respected Brookdale as a leading senior living operator, and it is an honor to join this talented team,” Stengle said. “Brookdale has a strong foundation in place with compelling long-term growth drivers, and I believe the company is well positioned to extend its leadership position in the industry as we enter the next chapter and capitalize on attractive industry demographics. I look forward to building on the company’s recent success and to capturing the significant opportunities ahead to drive shareholder value.”
Brookdale Senior Living operates 623 senior living communities across 41 states serving approximately 57,000 residents. Through its affiliates, it operates independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities.