Matt Mooney

Q: What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I hope the trait that I exemplify most is genuinely listening well as a leader. It is often hard to pause in our frenetic lives and be a great listener. However, it is critical to understand the needs and objectives of our investors and tenants, and the motivating factors for our employees. If I grasp those inputs, then I can effectively drive strategy to move our organization forward. I think something that perhaps people don’t see in me as much initially, but that is at my core, is that I am extremely competitive. Probably like most people on this list, I have a hard time being satisfied with anything less than the best possible outcome in something that I care about.

These two traits have been critical in our business at Parkway over the last few years post-pandemic, as real estate usage and capital flows have all changed dramatically. We have significantly increased the amount of recurring communication within our team to make sure we’re gathering as much real-time information as possible to be able to adapt strategically. That communication, coupled with a lot of “won’t quit” attitude, has made me very proud of our team through a challenging macro environment for our industry.

Q: What impact has any disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

The most unique impact for me in the past 18 months is that through my work with the Phoenix Thunderbirds, I have had the opportunity to serve as the Tournament Chairman for the 2025 WM Phoenix Open. The role has allowed me to witness, in a unique way, the power of our community when we get behind something. To see up close an event that generates approximately $500 million in annual economic impact to Arizona each year, and the more than $200 million raised for charities from the tournament since its inception, is truly remarkable. The WM Phoenix Open is the most successful event on the PGA Tour because of how this community supports it, and the unique environment we get to showcase to people around the world each February that draws people into our community. For the proceeds of the tournament to then benefit this community through charity is a beautiful thing.

Coupled with my “day job,” my role as Tournament Chairman this year has made for many very full days but, in a new way, it has taught me the power when business, sports, charity and fun can all unite. As a result, I’m focused on finding more ways to move our company and other charities closer to the confluence of those factors, where people are able to truly see the impact of their work beyond a paycheck.

Q: What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

The improvement in the diversity of job growth and the quality of overall economic growth since I moved to Arizona in 2006 is simply remarkable. We are so fortunate to have leaders like Chris Camacho at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Sandra Watson at the Arizona Commerce Authority. Maintaining low taxes, low regulations and competitive incentives are clearly key. Climate isn’t enough to continue to pull the amazing growth we’re seeing in high-tech manufacturing. That said, a more subjective note I always mention is that Phoenix is the most collaborative community anywhere in the country, in my opinion. Nobody here cares where you came from, and everyone is welcome if you want to jump in and contribute. This “rising tide lifts all ships” mindset is critical for us as a business community to all continue to benefit from our growth.

Q: What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

The most significant impact for Parkway as a real estate company is seeing a stabilization and increase in liquidity in the debt markets. It has been a very volatile environment since the pandemic, but there are reasons to be optimistic for 2025. Our business is cyclical, but Parkway has built exceptional real estate portfolios in Greater Phoenix over the years, and we anticipate entering one of those seasons when we can increasingly play offense again.