Meet the Advisory Board: Matt Vatter

If you're a TLI student or alumni you've met some of our amazing faculty and staff, but there is another important group of people working behind the scenes to ensure our programs offer the most relevant and high-caliber leadership and industry education possible. The Technological Leadership Institute Advisory Board does this by reviewing curricula, suggesting new programming opportunities, supporting TLI’s public engagement activities and sharing their technology industry expertise.

We wanted to introduce you to some of our esteemed members through our Meet the Advisory Board series.

This week we introduce you to Matt Vatter. Matt, who is an alum of the MS in Security Technologies program, currently serves as Assistant Commissioner for the Enforcement Division of the Minnesota Commerce Department. In this role, he oversees the Commerce Department’s regulatory enforcement for the 22 industries regulated by the Department. This includes the Civil Investigation teams and criminal law enforcement activities of the Commerce Fraud Bureau. Matt joined the Commerce Department in April of 2019 after serving as the Chief Operations Officer for a local, veteran-owned cybersecurity company and a 30-plus year military career.

Matt served in numerous challenging leadership positions with the US Army, finishing his career as the Director of Strategic Plans and Policy. He led long-term, strategic planning for the Minnesota National Guard. Matt graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education. He holds a leadership certificate from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and has earned a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College, and a Master of Science degree in Security Technologies from the University of Minnesota.

"The TLI programs are invaluable for filling the gap between a traditional MBA program and the emerging needs of more technology-focused business environments," says Matt. "I wanted to help shape this need. The advisory board provides the faculty with up-to-date practical perspectives from organizations that need the types of executives the TLI programs cultivate. This insight ensures a relevant and impactful curriculum."

Visit the Advisory Board page to see the full list of members and learn more about each of them.