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.
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.
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
PMI PDD 2025
"We Aren't Ready for AI: The Unsexy Truth"
PMI PDD 2025
"The Resilient PM: Leading Projects with AI as Your Strategic Partner"
IIBA Central Iowa
"The Force Multiplier: AI as Your BA Superpower"
Questioning Our Perspective
Podcast host — leadership & perspective-change
About
"My job isn't to sell you on AI. It's to make sure you're actually ready for 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. I've seen what happens when organizations implement technology without fixing the foundations first — and I've 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 &
technology transformation
technology transformation
3×
Conference keynote &
workshop speaker
workshop speaker
Insights
Articles & Perspectives
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.
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.
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?
No pitch, no pressure. Just a direct conversation about where you are and what would actually help.