Matt Lopez
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary at Strategic Student & Senior Housing Trust
Executive
About Matt Lopez
Matt F. Lopez is Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary of Strategic Student & Senior Housing Trust, Inc. (STSR), serving since December 2020; age 47, CPA (California), with a B.A. in Economics from UCLA and 14 years of PwC public accounting experience focused on real estate and REITs . STSR’s FY performance during his tenure shows total revenues of $34.93M in 2024 (continuing operations), $32.59M in 2023 (senior, continuing), and $30.06M in 2022 (senior, continuing), with net income attributable to common stockholders of $17.84M in 2024 (driven by a $27.59M gain on sale from discontinued operations), vs. losses of $(11.07)M in 2023 and $(0.53)M in 2022 . He signs SOX 302/906 certifications on quarterly reports, evidencing direct accountability for disclosure controls and financial reporting quality .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. | CFO & Treasurer | Jan 2017 – Jun 2019 | Led accounting/financial management and SEC reporting across sponsored programs . |
| Strategic Storage Trust IV, Inc. | CFO & Treasurer | Jan 2017 – Mar 2021 | Senior finance leadership through merger into SmartStop subsidiary . |
| Strategic Storage Growth Trust II, Inc. | CFO & Treasurer | Jul 2019 – Jun 2022 | Finance leader through program’s merger into SmartStop subsidiary . |
| SmartStop Asset Management (Sponsor) | Controller | Oct 2015 – Jan 2017 | Oversaw accounting/financial management and SEC/regulatory reporting for sponsored programs . |
| SmartStop Self Storage, Inc. | Controller | Nov 2014 – Oct 2015 | Controller through sale to Extra Space Storage . |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | Audit Senior Manager (Real Estate) | 2000 – 2014 | Led audits for REITs, funds, homebuilders; deep GAAP/SEC expertise . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Storage Trust VI, Inc. (SST VI) | CFO & Treasurer | Oct 2020 – present |
| Strategic Storage Growth Trust III, Inc. (SSGT III) | CFO & Treasurer | Feb 2022 – present |
| Strategic Storage Trust X (SST X) | CFO & Treasurer | Oct 2024 – present |
Fixed Compensation
- STSR does not directly compensate executive officers; no base salary, bonus, or equity awards are disclosed at the registrant level. Executives are compensated by the external Advisor; no executive CD&A is provided .
- No executive perquisites or pension/SERP benefits are disclosed for executives at STSR .
Performance Compensation
- No executive incentive plan, performance metric weightings, targets, payouts, or vesting schedules are disclosed at STSR; executives are paid by the Advisor and not directly by the registrant .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Pledged/Hedged | Options/RSUs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt F. Lopez | 0 | <1% | No hedging policy in place for employees/officers/directors; pledging not disclosed | None disclosed |
- Stock ownership guidelines for executives are not disclosed. Independent directors receive restricted stock under the Long-Term Incentive Plan; executives do not have disclosed equity grants from STSR .
- STSR is not exchange-listed and has suspended its share redemption program since May 2020; no redemptions in 2024–2025, limiting liquidity and potential insider selling activity at the registrant level .
Employment Terms
- Appointment: Board appointed Lopez CFO & Treasurer effective December 1, 2020 (Item 5.02 8‑K) .
- Contract: No employment agreement, severance, change-of-control, tax gross-ups, clawbacks, non-compete/non-solicit, or garden leave terms are disclosed for Lopez at STSR; executives are employed and compensated by the Advisor .
- Certifications: Lopez signs SOX 302 (Ex. 31.2) and 906 (Ex. 32.2) certifications on periodic reports, reflecting accountability for controls and fair presentation .
Performance & Track Record
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenues ($) | $34,430,834 | $37,668,525 | $34,927,831 (continuing operations) |
| Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common ($) | $(534,244) | $(11,073,575) | $17,835,609 |
| Gain on Sale from Discontinued Ops ($) | — | — | $27,587,961 |
- Note: FY 2024 reflects reclassification and sale of student housing (Fayetteville) as discontinued operations; senior housing comprises continuing operations .
- Controls: Management (CEO and CFO) concluded disclosure controls were effective as of Q3 2025; no ICFR changes materially affecting reporting were noted .
Risk Indicators & Governance
- No hedging policy for employees, officers, and directors at this time (potential misalignment vs. best practices) .
- Executives’ compensation determined and paid by Advisor; registrant-level pay-for-performance linkage is not disclosed .
- Lopez has no direct STSR equity holdings, reducing “skin-in-the-game” alignment at the registrant level .
- Related-party ecosystem (Advisor, Property Manager) governs fees and oversight; independent directors review affiliate transactions and fees; detailed fee schedules disclosed (asset management, oversight, disposition) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Lopez’s lack of direct STSR equity ownership and the absence of hedging restrictions reduce alignment at the registrant level; executive incentives reside at the Advisor, making pay-for-performance analysis opaque for STSR investors .
- Liquidity/Insider Pressure: With no exchange listing and a suspended share redemption program, near-term insider selling pressure appears limited; Form 4-style insider activity is not applicable given no Section 12(b) listing and no disclosed executive equity awards at STSR .
- Execution: FY 2024 net income uplift was driven by asset sale gains rather than operating margin expansion; senior housing continuing operations carry most of the revenue base post-divestiture, placing emphasis on operating efficiency and fee structures with affiliates under CFO oversight .
- Governance focus: Monitor Advisor fee accruals/controls, any future disclosures on executive compensation at the registrant level, and adoption of hedging/ownership guidelines to strengthen alignment .