About Matthew Burton

Matthew Burton is a transformation leader at the intersection of government and technology with nearly 20 years of experience driving digital initiatives and scaling organizations to deliver sustainable, mission-driven impact. He is a recognized “fixer” of complex systems, with expertise stabilizing organizations, recruiting elite talent, and influencing at the highest levels. Matthew has extensive experience advising on government reform and oversight.

Matthew Burton advises government entities on high-dollar digital transformation efforts, and works with private sector organizations seeking to understand the public sector's increasingly unpredictable policy and operations landscapes.

Recently, Matthew was the Associate Chief Information Officer for Tax Technology Modernization at the U.S. Department of Treasury. From 2023-2025, he oversaw the Internal Revenue Service’s $15B technology transformation, modernizing outdated systems, aligning siloed leadership, and overhauling procurement to strengthen fiscal discipline and oversight. He spearheaded an innovative recruitment strategy to attract top private-sector technology talent and was honored with the Secretary’s Meritorious Service Award for his leadership of the Inflation Reduction Act implementation.

Previously, Matthew served as Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid. Hand-selected by a Presidential appointee, he led strategy and oversight for all technology- related activities—cloud strategy, IT standards, organizational structure, fraud prevention, acquisition, recruiting, and FAFSA reform—while advising senior leaders on digital transformation and vendor management.

Prior to his government leadership roles, Matthew was Chief Operating Officer of Hadron Industries, a defense technology company specializing in cybersecurity. He stood up multiple business verticals during the startup and growth phases, served as strategic liaison between engineering teams and federal stakeholders, and designed the corporate technology playbook to ensure scalable design, secure deployment, and governance. He also played a pivotal role in a DOJ-facilitated whistleblower investigation against a defense vendor supplying counterfeit encryption hardware to U.S. Army Special Forces and led Senate briefings on cyber threats following January 6, shaping improvements to DoD cyber defense doctrine.

Earlier, as Deputy and Acting CIO at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Matthew built a nationwide IT enterprise for a 1,500-person agency, scaling the team from 7 to 150+, delivering regulatory tools, digital infrastructure, and public-facing platforms on consumer finance. His innovative recruitment strategy attracted top private-sector talent, adding 30+ hires in six months and enhancing organizational credibility. He began his career in the U.S. Intelligence Community, where he advised on information warfare, collaboration reforms, and secure digital tools to enhance analysis and information sharing.

Matthew holds a Master of Professional Studies in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University and Bachelor’s degree in public policy studies from Duke University. He has spoken widely at industry conferences on the intersection of government and technology.