Robert Gendron

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Bob Gendron is an internationally recognized entrepreneur who has built industry-leading service and technology companies in health care, real estate, automotive, and beyond. A seasoned executive who has founded four dynamic companies and led them from start up to high growth, Gendron has worked across sectors and around the globe to leverage technology to save money for clients and deliver services more effectively. Currently, Gendron is the founder and CEO of CREF, a global corporate real estate and facilities management firm. CREF is a full-service partner to clients at every stage of growth, from planning and budgeting to regulatory management and environmental sustainability, across more than 40 million square feet of real estate. 

As the co-founder of Mechanic Advisor in 2006, Gendron developed Steer, the first cloud-based automotive service review platform, which aimed to eliminate the service delivery gap between consumers and automotive repair professionals. Steer has transformed the way repair shops communicate with customers, leading to partnerships with Global brands like MOBIL1, Advanced Auto, ATD, and many more.  

During his time with Mechanic Advisor, Gendron simultaneously formed GenCon, the most progressive health care design build GC firm in New England. Working with world-renowned health care systems, GenCon transforms the project delivery process to empower health care organizations in delivering results faster and more cost effectively, while improving access to high-quality patient care in low-income and underserved communities.  

In 2016, Gendron embarked on his most significant venture to date. He formed CREF to help the $4.5 trillion health care industry—which accounts for 23% of the GDP—to address their real estate assets in a totally new way. By combining best-in-class approaches to capital program management, facility performance, regulatory preparedness, and ESG programs, CREF has unlocked the untapped value and potential of billions of dollars in real estate assets in the industry.  

Maximizing these assets enables system owners and operators to substantially reduce operating costs, free up growth capital, and greatly improve patient care. CREF’s growing team of more than 100 hands-on problem solvers and subject matter experts have worked in every dimension of real estate, project management, and facilities operations. Guided by Gendron’s vision, CREF understands the challenges that clients face and takes a proactive approach to mitigating risk and improving efficiency. 

Through his leadership of CREF, Gendron uncovered an exciting new opportunity to further support his clients. He developed an innovative technology platform, recently launched as Vytal, combining all program management, facility and clinical asset management, regulatory preparedness, and ESG/Energy on one integrated platform. The tools provided by Vytal represent a powerful shift in the way institutions’ siloed systems currently operate, particularly in the health care industry. In just two years, Vytal has scaled to more than 20 million square feet and $3 billion worth of assets. In a world of aging infrastructure and workforces, Vytal is a game-changing solution to the paradigm of lost operating margins and top line constraints.    

Gendron is a Massachusetts native and graduate of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife Gina and their four children. In addition to his professional pursuits, Gendron supports a number of community organizations and charitable endeavors focused on the development of children and gaps in education and opportunities, such as Youth Villages. He serves as an executive board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas. 


Contact Us

Start the Conversation

Reach out anytime. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact Us