Matt Strain

About

I help boards, CEOs, and leadership teams cut through the AI hype and make smart, practical moves that actually stick. Sustained adoption that improves how work gets done, how decisions get made, and where value shows up. The core idea: AI is changing quickly, but most organizations do not get stuck on the tech. They get stuck on people, workflows, incentives, and decision-making. In other words, this is more of a people issue than a technology issue. My work has been featured in The New York Times and Forbes. I’ve partnered with organizations ranging from privately held companies and professional services firms to Blackstone, Citadel Securities, Francisco Partners, Freshfields, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and The Conference Board. When I start with a client, I look for gaps at four levels. Board Clarity on what you are optimizing for. Value creation, risk, and governance. Then a simple question. How will you know adoption is real. CEO A small set of bets that matter. Where AI changes the operating system or the economic model, not just a few tasks. Then an operating cadence that keeps it from becoming a side project. Leadership team Alignment across functions.

Experience

Education