Mary Munoz is senior managing director at Ziegler. She was also a guest on our weekly Roundtable where she shared some insights from her 30 years of experience in senior living.
At Ziegler, Mary works with a broad range of senior living communities and multi-facility systems in strategic growth planning and creative financing strategies. She also has extensive experience with start-up CCRC projects, campus expansions and redevelopments, and refinancings.
Here’s a closer look at some highlights from her presentation:
CRISES HAVE MADE US BETTER
Crises have continually transformed the senior living industry. During her time at Ziegler, Mary saw the financial impacts of 9/11, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which led to mergers, bankruptcies, and industry consolidation. She noted a similar trend in the 1980s hospital sector, where reimbursement changes triggered widespread mergers.
In senior living, larger organizations are increasingly the ones that adapt and thrive, as they can diversify and spread costs. Mary believes single-site communities are declining as pressures rise. She stressed that future crises are inevitable and urged organizations to prepare. She challenged the audience to consider how their sales and marketing efforts are positioning their organizations to adapt and remain resilient.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE BOTTOM LINE
Understanding the bottom line is crucial, yet it’s often overlooked in organizations. Mary pointed out that while some employees are revenue centers, every employee is ultimately a cost center.
She referenced the Retirement Housing Professional Program at LeadingAge, where Ziegler taught the financial module, and she frequently led the West Coast sessions. In her training, she encouraged participants to engage with their CFOs using a set of key questions, including, “How do I impact the bottom line of this organization, and how can I improve that impact?”
TECHNOLOGY IN SENIOR LIVING
Mary emphasized that while technology will be transformative in senior living, it won’t be resident-facing tech that makes the biggest impact. She believes that older adults in retirement communities crave physical contact, social interaction, and a sense of community, much like teenagers do. She noted that technology alone cannot solve the loneliness issue that older adults face; in fact, it could potentially make it worse.
Instead, Mary sees back-office technology as the real game changer—tools that improve workforce management, healthcare efficiency, and operational processes. It’s not about replacing people with robots, she explained, but enhancing the human element and creating opportunities for more meaningful interactions.
Varsity’s Roundtable is a weekly virtual gathering of senior living marketers and leaders from across the nation. For updates about future weekly Roundtable gatherings, submit your name and email address here.
