Tony Ressler

Profile Verified by The Marque

Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026

Principal Owner & Governor of the Board of Directors

Los Angeles, US

Profile Verified by The Marque

Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026

Contact Tony Ressler

In Their Own Right

Biography

Tony Ressler is Co-Founder, Director & Executive Chairman of Ares Management Corporation, a publicly traded, leading global alternative asset management firm. With approximately $623 billion in AUM as of December 2025, Ares operates three investment groups that invest in credit, private equity and real estate. Ares has approximately 4,200 employees with over 55 offices across the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. Tony has served on several boards of companies owned or controlled by Ares investment funds.

In the not-for-profit sector, Tony serves as as Co-Chair of the Board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and is one of the founders and former board member of the Painted Turtle Camp, which is affiliated with Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Association. Painted Turtle serves children dealing with chronic and life-threatening illnesses by providing memorable camping experiences.

In the public education sector, Tony is a Founder & former Chairman of the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools. Since 2004, the Alliance has grown to 28 free, public middle and high schools serving approximately 13,000 students from LA’s poorest communities with historically underperforming schools. Four Alliance schools have been named California Distinguished Schools, and three are ranked in the top 10 of all Los Angeles Unified School District schools. More than 90% of Alliance graduates have gone on to college.

In June 2015, Tony led the acquisition of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club and serves as its Principal Owner and Chairman of its Board of Directors. He also serves at a Senior Advisor to the Hawks Foundation, a not for profit organization focused on building bridges with the metro Atlanta community through basketball.

Tony holds a BSFS degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and received his MBA from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.

The Record

Background

1997 — Present
Co-Founder, Director & Executive Chairman

Ares Management Corporation

Since its founding in 1997, Ares Management Corporation, a global alternative asset manager, has grown into one of the largest in the world, leading in three complementary market investment groups: private equity, credit, and real estate.
2015 — Present
Principal Owner & Governor of the Board of Directors

Atlanta Hawks Basketball Team

The Atlanta Hawks compete in the NBA's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The Hawks play their home games at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. ATL Investco, the owner of the Hawks, also owns the Atlanta Hawks Foundation, the Hawks Talon GC, and College Park Skyhawks.
1990 — 1997
Co-Founder

Apollo Global Management

Apollo Global Management manages capital for hundreds of fund investors as one of the largest alternative investment managers in the world. Apollo manages capital in dozens of countries and for some of the most sophisticated institutional allocators of capital.

In The News

Newsfeed

26 March 2026 · Bloomberg
An NBA Owner, Music Stars and Athletes Team Up for a $5 Billion Atlanta Bet
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25 February 2026 · Businesswire
Atlanta Hawks Foundation and Ressler Gertz Family Foundation Advance Prostate Cancer Awareness
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17 February 2026 · Adweek
Ludacris and the Hawks' Tony Ressler on Atlanta's Rise to a Marketing, Music, and Sports Powerhouse
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10 February 2026 · PR Newswire
Tony Ressler to Headline Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at the 2026 Hunter Conference
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14 December 2023 · HOPE Global Forums
2023 HOPE Global Forum
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13 April 2023 · Atlanta Business Chronicle
Why Tony Ressler isn't interested in selling Atlanta Hawks
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16 March 2023 · NBA
Atlanta Hawks Launch Hawks Ventures with $50M Fund to Support Minority and Women-Led Startups
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30 November 2022 · Fortune
Fortune Impact Initiative 2022
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17 November 2022 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta breaks ground on mixed-used high rise project in Centennial Yards
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15 July 2022 · Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta HBCUs get $2M gift from program backed by Hawksâ€™ owner Tony Ressler
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22 October 2021 · The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
â€˜We expect to be contenders,â€™ Hawks owner Tony Ressler says
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7 September 2021 · Forbes
Atlanta Hawks Might Be â€˜Light-Years Aheadâ€™ With Their Team-Building Strategy
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