74%
Value Alignment Consulting

Most organizations
aren't ready for AI.
Let's change that.

Aaron Matthews helps small and mid-sized organizations move from AI confusion to operational confidence — through honest assessment, practical transformation leadership, and training that changes how people think.

Start a Conversation See what I do
74%

of companies have yet to show tangible value from their AI investments.

Not because the tools are bad — because the foundations aren't ready. Unclear processes, poor data quality, misaligned expectations, and teams that have never been taught to think differently about AI. That's not a technology problem. It's an operational one.

BCG "Where's the Value in AI?" — Survey of 1,000 CxOs across 59 countries · October 2024
What I do

Three ways I
can help you

Whether your organization needs hands-on AI transformation leadership, practical training that actually sticks, or an experienced executive in the room — this is where we start.

01

AI Transformation Leadership

Most AI initiatives stall between pilot and production. The tools work — the foundations don't. I help organizations close that gap through rigorous readiness assessment, governance design, stakeholder alignment, and hands-on program leadership. This isn't advisory work. It's operational.

Best for Small and mid-sized organizations with active AI initiatives that aren't delivering at scale — or organizations that want to get it right before they start.
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02

AI Training & Education

The biggest barrier to AI adoption isn't technology — it's how people think about it. I design and deliver workshops, presentations, and facilitated sessions that help teams at every level understand what AI actually is, where it fits in their work, and how to develop the habits that make it useful.

Best for Small and mid-sized companies where leadership and teams are overwhelmed by AI noise. Also available for professional associations and conference programs.
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03

Fractional Executive & Program Leadership

Some organizations need an experienced operator at the table — not a consultant who bills by the hour and disappears after the deck. As a fractional CTO/COO through Altus CXO and my own practice, I embed with leadership teams to drive transformation, stand up programs, and deliver results.

Best for Growth-stage and mid-market organizations that need executive-level technology or operations leadership without a full-time hire.
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Speaking
About
"I don't like talking about myself. AI actually does a better job of it."

For more than 21 years I've led operations and technology initiatives across healthcare IT, financial services, insurance, enterprise SaaS, and AI-native companies. That includes implementing AI-driven workflows inside a Series B AI startup and leading transformation inside legacy enterprises where the margin for error was small. I've seen what happens when organizations implement technology without fixing the foundations first. I've also seen what happens when they get it right.

I'm a fractional executive at Altus CXO and the principal of Value Alignment Consulting. My work focuses on helping organizations — especially small and mid-sized ones — understand what it actually takes to move AI from pilot to operational reality.

That means honest assessment, practical frameworks, and being willing to tell you what you don't want to hear before you spend money you don't need to spend.

I also speak and teach. If you've ever sat in an AI presentation and left more confused than when you arrived, that's exactly the problem I'm trying to solve.

PMP MBA — Healthcare Lean Six Sigma Green Belt ITIL V3 West Des Moines, IA
21+
Years leading operations and technology
across healthcare IT, financial services,
insurance, and enterprise SaaS
3×
Conference keynote and workshop speaker —
PMI PDD, IIBA, and PMI-CIC

"AI will magnify whatever exists. This is why so many AI projects are failing — we amplify the chaos when we implement technology without the foundations."

Aaron Matthews — PMI Professional Development Day, 2025
Insights

Articles & Perspectives

More articles on LinkedIn →
Illustrated scene of business people watching an AI building collapse
Article

The Blindspots That Kill AI Transformation

74% of companies have yet to show tangible value from their AI investments. The real cause isn't the technology — it's the unsexy work that organizations skip on the way to implementation.

AI Transformation Read on LinkedIn →
Abstract golden neural network pattern on dark background
Article

Reset Thinkers Beat AI. Pattern Followers Don't.

There's a type of person who doesn't get paralyzed by AI uncertainty — they get curious. Here's what separates them, and why every organization needs them.

Leadership · Mindset Read on LinkedIn →
Silhouetted figures representing the 6 stages of AI grief against a dramatic sky
Article

You Have 6 Stages of AI Grief. Most People Stop at Stage 4.

Organizations go through something like grief when confronting AI disruption. Understanding the stages is the first step to moving beyond them.

AI Adoption · Change Read on LinkedIn →
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AI readiness, and how do you assess it?

AI readiness is an organization's ability to effectively adopt and leverage AI across its people, processes, data, and technology. The assessment examines each dimension to identify gaps and prioritize the highest-impact improvements — before committing to a platform or tool.

Who do you typically work with?

I work with mid-size organizations and leadership teams navigating real-world AI adoption — not just evaluating it. Most clients are in the 50–5,000 employee range and have started exploring AI but aren't sure where to focus or how to build the right foundation.

What's the difference between a keynote and an organizational workshop?

Keynotes are designed for large audiences at conferences or company-wide events — high-energy, research-backed sessions that shift how a room thinks about AI. Workshops are smaller, interactive, and built for your specific team — participants leave with a shared vocabulary and a prioritized next-step plan.

Do you work with organizations that haven't started using AI yet?

Yes. Some of the most impactful work happens before an organization commits to a specific platform. Getting the foundation right — use case clarity, data quality, stakeholder alignment — is what separates organizations that succeed with AI from those that struggle.

Are your services available outside Iowa?

Yes. I'm based in West Des Moines, Iowa, and work with clients nationally. Speaking engagements and workshops are available both in-person and virtually.

Ready to have
the honest conversation?

Whether you need an AI readiness assessment, a workshop for your team, or an experienced operator in the room — let's talk about where you are and what would actually help.

Get in Touch Learn more