Future Leader: Matthew Ferry, Coo, Parasol Alliance

Matthew Ferry, COO at Parasol Alliance, has been named to the Future Leaders Class of 2026 by Senior Housing News.

To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40 years of age or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for older adults and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.

Ferry sat down with Senior Housing News to share what drew him to the senior housing & senior living industry, the biggest leadership lessons he has learned, his thoughts on the future of senior housing & senior living, and much more. To learn more about the Future Leaders Awards program, visit https://futureleaders.wtwhmedia.com/.

SHN: What drew you to the senior housing & senior living industry?

Ferry: My career previously took me through a non-profit hospital system, so I was already very familiar with healthcare and the support needed related to technology. When I found Parasol Alliance, their vision to transform technology in senior living seemed like a noble cause. From there, I haven’t looked back. 

SHN: How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it changed over time?

Ferry: I do my best to build up rapport with my team through our regular interactions. I want everyone to get the work done, but have a good time working together to do it.

I am also a firm believer that you should always lead by example as a leader. If your team has respect for how you lead, they naturally and willingly want to follow.

Over the years and through our company’s growth, it’s become clear to me that I can’t be everywhere at once, so it’s critical I have trusted team members that are able to work on my behalf. Building those relationships of trust and respect have led to a strong team that can be trusted to handle anything if I’m not available for any reason. 

SHN: What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned while serving the senior housing & senior living industry?

Ferry: We’re genuinely making a meaningful impact on both the community’s staff and residents. Through our IT strategic planning work with senior living communities, we’ve completed countless assessments over the years and recently reviewed and graded many of those reports. What stood out was how significantly our clients have improved over time.

Even anecdotally, I remember communities that once experienced critical technology issues every other week that now operate smoothly with far fewer disruptions.

Overall, it’s become very clear to me that the work we do has a real impact on our team members, community staff, and most importantly, the residents they serve.

SHN: In one word, how would you describe the senior housing & senior living industry and why?

Ferry: Empathetic.

Through countless meetings with community staff members across the country, one thing consistently stands out to me: the genuine sense of empathy they have for both the residents they serve and their fellow team members.

SHN: What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges currently facing the senior housing & senior living industry?

Ferry: From my standpoint, being in IT for the industry I would say:

For opportunities, I think the most significant is to improve the livelihood of residents using technology. We’ve run into many residents with concerns around using technology, and while I certainly understand them, this often closes the door to the many ways technology can improve their lives. As an example, each time I provide a presentation for Tech@Home (our resident support service), I always point out how critical it is to backup your photos and videos. I’ve run into situations where people have these on one computer, that computer fails and they are just lost. It’s awful to see someone lose their family photos to this.

For challenges, I think security is the biggest one. We’re seeing more and more attacks against both residents and community staff members. Communities have to be prepared to improve their security posturing to make sure they aren’t put into very difficult positions. One breach can lead to tons of data loss (including PHI) or can lead to malicious software affecting daily operations. This is a critical vulnerability for the industry; everyone needs regular training and tools/services to help protect themselves.

SHN: If you had a crystal ball, what do you think will impact the senior housing & senior living industry over the next 5-10 years?

Ferry: In the next 5-10 years, I suspect we’ll have a bit of a shift around the utilization of technology in communities.

With younger generations joining senior living, there is a trend towards more technology being utilized. I think this is a great thing and will be positive for the communities overall. It may require some additional IT oversight, but it’s sure to make a positive impact on residents’ lives. 

SHN: In your opinion, what qualities must all Future Leaders possess?

Ferry: A few skills I think have been critical to my personal success thus far are:

• Leaders should always lead by example. Don’t expect your team to do anything you wouldn’t be willing to. You should be willing to handle an issue typically handled by frontline staff if a situation comes up. You’re not “above” anything and you should have an “I’ll do what it takes” mentality.

• You should constantly be on the lookout for team members that give their all. You should reinforce this as much as possible and do whatever you can to make sure it’s rewarded. First, they deserve it. Second, there’s no one better to help guide and lead you. And third, when others see that behavior, they’re more likely to follow and emulate it.

• Try to approach each situation objectively by evaluating the available options and understanding the implications of each one. This helps you make the most informed decision possible, whether for yourself or when presenting recommendations to others.

• Always recognize that you could be wrong and that others may have ideas that benefit the entire team. No one person has all the answers, which is why it’s important to stay open to feedback and different perspectives. Don’t look only to leadership for ideas. Regularly ask team members for their input on how things can be improved. We achieve the best outcomes when we work together as a team.

• Always start with the benefit of doubt in any “bad” situation. If you suspect something is wrong, go into that situation with the understanding that you’re likely missing details. Let anyone involved explain the situation to you. Only then should you look to assign responsibility for anything that went wrong.

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