Paul McDowell, CEO and president of Orion Office REIT Inc. (NYSE: ONL), participated in a video interview in conjunction with Nareit’s REITweek: 2022 Investor Conference in New York on June 7-9.
McDowell discussed Orion Office REIT’s portfolio of corporate headquarters office buildings in suburban markets with population influxes, noting that the REIT looks for “the markets where employees are moving” for climate or cost of living reasons, for example.
“Once employees go there, employers follow,” he said.
Turning to environmentally friendly policies, McDowell said that Orion is committed to ESG, but that as a brand-new public company (formed as a result of the merger between Realty Income and VEREIT in late 2021), it inherited a portfolio of assets that are largely operated by Fortune 500 companies.
“A lot of the solar and energy efficiencies, the tenants are already doing at our properties—and we’re committed to helping them do that,” he said.
McDowell also pointed out the experience of Orion’s management team, noting that the REIT is the third public company that he has served as either the CEO or the COO.