Matt Hames

About Matt Hames

A 25-year veteran of the wealth management industry and former CEO of a bank trust company, Matt has a unique perspective on industries and business models that have been void of innovation for extended periods of time. His passion for design thinking and his desire to help organizations find relevance in the experience economy drive him to challenge existing paradigms while inspiring others to consider what could be. Matt graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Management, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Creation from Kennesaw State University while playing basketball for the Owls on scholarship for 4 years. Matt holds the professional designation of Certified Trust & Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA), indicating excellence in the areas of fiduciary responsibilities, trust activities, personal finance, insurance, estate planning, tax planning, and investment management. Matt is the founder of Acru Strategy and co-founder of Acru Insurance. After receiving international acclaim for the retail financial services delivery model developed and launched by Acru Wealth in 2011, Matt shifted his focus in late 2013 on the discipline of integrating brand strategy and business model design, serving organizations in industries including financial services, engineering, construction, utilities, & non-profits. Acru has been featured in Fast Company Magazine, The Financial Brand, American Banker, and other local, regional and national publications. In early 2012 the Acru retail location won the Best of the Best Retail Design Award in the state of Georgia from the International Interior Design Association, their highest honor for retail space design. Matt has had the honor to speak both domestically and internationally about the methodologies used by Acru and the questions organizations need to answer as they seek to thrive in the years ahead.

Experience

1. Chief Growth Officer

   Three Notch Group

   Nov 2024 — Present · Atlanta, GA, US

   After serving as a strategic advisor to Three Notch Group for 10 years, Matt joined the executive team in late 2024 as Chief Growth Officer. He provides guidance and leadership in the area of strategic growth, brand strategy, and acquisition integration as the firm continues serving clients in the environment and infrastructure space.

Education

• Kennesaw State University - Michael J. Coles College of Business

  Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Business-Management

  1994 — 1998

Skills

• Strategic Brand Consulting
• Business Development
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Leadership Development
• Entrepreneurship
• Budgets
• Finance
• Program Management
• Executive Management
• Business Planning
• Relationship Management
• Small Business
• Team Leadership
• Leadership
• Brand Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Marketing Strategy
• Management
• Team Building
• Strategic Planning
• Change Management
• Insurance
• Sales Management
• Management Consulting
• Business Strategy
• Organizational Design
• Banking
• Risk Management
• Financial Analysis
• Financial Modeling
• Process Improvement
• Financial Services
• Crm
• Strategy
• Portfolio Management
• Start-Ups
• Vendor Management
• Investments