Prominent Local Real Estate Firm Boyle Investment Co. Names New CEO, Chairman

Memphis Business Journal

By Stephen MacLeod

Boyle Investment Company has named both a new president and CEO and a new chairman, effective immediately.

Matt Hayden has been appointed president and CEO. He succeeds Paul Boyle, who has been promoted to chairman.

Henry Morgan Jr. and Bayard Morgan have been named vice chairmen, and Bayard Boyle Jr. and Henry Morgan Sr. have been named co-chairmen emeritus.

Hayden’s promotion comes after rising in the ranks at Boyle. He joined the real estate company in 2014 as deputy treasurer and became its treasurer and CFO in 2016. Prior to joining Boyle, Hayden had prominent roles with Memphis companies Wunderlich Securities Inc., as a senior VP, and at Morgan Keegan & Co., as a first VP.

As Boyle’s CFO, Hayden oversaw the financial accounting and reporting on a large portfolio of investment properties, which included 150 real estate entities comprised of different investors.

“I never envisioned [being CEO] when I joined Boyle,” Hayden told MBJ. “Working with the Boyle and Morgan families and the key executives here, one thing led to another. It was never in my mind that I’d be in this position, but I’m very grateful to be.”

Hayden sees himself in the role for a long time at a firm with a history dating back to 1933.

“While it’s a new step for the company [by] promoting me to president and CEO, there’s not going to be a major change, necessarily,” he said. “The company’s direction is to help our board and key executives continue to do what we’ve been doing, and try to grow stronger as a company over the next 10 years as we reach 100 years old.”

Boyle is one of Memphis’ largest private companies, with 135 total employees, including more than 30 at its Nashville office. The company collectively manages 8 million square feet of commercial space in the Memphis and Nashville metros. In 2020, Boyle and partners acquired several high-level Memphis office buildings — including International Place II, and Triad Centre I, II, and III — from Highwoods Properties.