Matt Fairchild

Summary

Technology executive who builds scalable operating systems for delivery, AI enablement, and transformation. Proven across global matrixed organizations, agencies, SaaS, martech, and regulated platforms. Combines technology strategy, governance, productization, and execution discipline to turn complex environments into measurable, reusable, and commercially effective capability.

Core Strengths

Executive technology leadership and strategy · Operating model design · Operational AI architecture and implementation · AI governance and agent certification · Delivery transformation and commercialization · Platform modernization · Executive cadence and strategic execution · Capability productization

Experience

• VML (formerly Mirum, then Wunderman Thompson)

  2018 – Present

  • EVP, Technology

    2023 – Present

    Progressive advancement since 2018 across technology delivery, operations, strategy, and enterprise enablement within a 30,000-person global organization formed through multiple mergers.

    • Drove companywide WPP Open and AI adoption, moving the organization from fragmented experimentation toward scalable, governed capability.
    • Designed and launched the VML Certified Agent Program, establishing ownership, auditability, allowed knowledge controls, citation and refusal standards, evaluation protocols, and lifecycle recertification.
    • Built AI capability into a productized internal portfolio, including reusable agent frameworks, certification patterns, governance controls, and implementation patterns that improved adoption, consistency, enterprise deployment readiness, and commercialization at scale.
    • Extended Restricted Agile and continuous estimation into delivery guardrails that improved scope transparency, effort visibility, and executive visibility across programs.
    • As Interim CTO for the Wunderman Thompson Health insurance portfolio, modernized platform direction and introduced utilization and billability discipline.
    • Sponsored modernization of internal data platform capabilities in Azure within a HITRUST-aligned environment, strengthening access discipline, platform reliability, and audit readiness.

  • VP, Technology Leadership Roles

    2018 – 2023

    Progressive leadership roles spanning technology delivery, operations, regional strategy, and interim CTO responsibilities.

    • Unified regional technology operations and built the 2022 North America technology strategy.
    • Led delivery model redesign and organizational scaling through merger integration and accelerated growth.
    • Directed technology strategy for major new business efforts and enterprise client expansion.
    • Built business-aligned technology roadmaps across Fortune 500 client portfolios.
    • Sponsored regulated cloud modernization efforts including FedRAMP and HITRUST initiatives.
    • Established Restricted Agile and continuous estimation across U.S. delivery teams.
    • Orchestrated initial global delivery alignment for The Coca-Cola Company across WPP.

• VP, Technology · Horizontal Integration

  2016 – 2018

  • Owned business and client technology strategy, delivery operations, and new business support across a 120-person U.S. and India organization contributing to 400% revenue growth over three years.
  • Launched new service offerings including Acquia, managed services, infrastructure provisioning, and QA automation to expand delivery capability and market relevance.
  • Introduced capacity planning and budgeting guardrails to support quality and predictability during rapid growth.
  • Restructured the organization to preserve delivery quality and technical depth as the service portfolio expanded.
  • Built technology roadmaps that tied platform and product decisions to client business outcomes.

• Technology Leadership Roles · Earlier Leadership Experience

  1998 – 2016

  Built and scaled technology functions across agencies, startups, and enterprise software environments, including founding an investor-backed startup, earning patents, formalizing engineering practices, and leading SaaS and enterprise platform development from concept through operations.

  • VP, Technology and Innovation, Padilla CRT (2015–2016): built the technology function from the ground up and aligned martech strategy to client growth.
  • Group Technology Director, Olson (2013–2015): scaled the engineering organization, formalized SDLC practices, and introduced delivery discipline.
  • CTO and Co-founder, CRAM / Secured2 (2009–2013): built a digital content security platform, secured patents, and earned CES recognition.
  • Director of Technology, Atomic Playpen (2005–2009): led all technology for a digital agency and built a multi-tenant SaaS platform.
  • Development Manager, MCG Energy Solutions (1998–2005): built a 0-to-1 enterprise energy trading and settlements SaaS product with end-to-end responsibility spanning requirements, UX, development, infrastructure, and 24x7 support at 99.999%+ uptime.

Advisory & Board

• Advisory Board · Smart Solutions

  2024 – Present

  Advise CEO and operations leadership on scaling the business, improving execution discipline, strengthening technology leadership, and applying AI in ways that improve margin and operating leverage.

• Founding Board Member · Ethiopian Kids Community

  2005 – 2013

  Helped establish a parent-led nonprofit supporting families with adopted Ethiopian children. Advised on governance, operating model design, programming across cultures, and community events.

Signature Frameworks

• Restricted Agile

  Delivery operating model for client services organizations with continuous estimation, role clarity, scope discipline, and roadmap transparency. Operationalized as a scoring platform with six defined metrics, enabling quantitative measurement of delivery health across teams.

• Strategic Execution Operating Model

  Executive monthly sprint cadence connecting annual planning and multi-year strategy to measurable commitments, roll-forward discipline, and drift tracking.

• AI-Governed Delivery Framework

  An AI-enabled development pipeline spanning new business requirements through delivery execution, combining structured requirements authoring with an AI-assisted development operating model that provides persistent session memory, architecture decision records, and governance hooks: a controlled, repeatable, auditable workflow for technical and non-technical practitioners alike.

Patents

• Secure Pre-loaded Drive Management at Kiosk
• Digital Content Management and Delivery
• Heat Dissipation for a Chip Protected by an Anti-Tamper Background
• Tamper Resistance Extension via Tamper Sensing Material Housing Integration
• Secure Kiosk Based Digital Content Delivery

Recognition

• Sitecore Ambassador MVP, 2018 and 2019
• CES Magazine recognition for CRAM / Secured2 as a top startup, 2012