Matthew STRAUSS

Principal Partner & Consultant

What drives me

I help leaders make sense of complexity.

I am fascinated by how organizations work as systems, where culture, leadership, strategy and processes all influence one another. Too often, organizations try to improve these areas separately. I believe lasting change comes from bringing them together around a shared purpose.

Whether supporting transformation, strategy or operational improvement, my focus is helping leaders create the conditions where people take ownership, solve problems and continuously improve.

What I believe

I believe great leadership combines clear business judgement with genuine compassion.

Methods such as lean and operational excellence are not just collections of tools. They are management systems built on respect, continuous learning and shared responsibility. People are inspired by meaningful work, growth and contributing to something worthwhile—not by metrics alone.

I believe organizations are human systems designed to achieve business outcomes. When people flourish, organizations perform better. Sustainable success comes from developing both together.

How I contribute to ARGO’s mission

As a consultant, I help leadership teams navigate complexity and lead meaningful transformation. I work with leaders to strengthen the capabilities, culture and management practices needed to turn strategy into everyday reality.

As Managing Partner for Innovation and Marketing, I help ARGO develop new services and approaches that respond to the changing needs of our clients, the market and society.

Beyond the office

I enjoy learning as much as experiencing. Philosophy, psychology, history and literature shape how I think about leadership and organizations. Zen, stoicism and other wisdom practices have been lasting influences on my thinking. Increasingly, I strive to experience life more deeply, rather than more broadly.

I enjoy travelling, discovering new cultures through their history and food, and recreating those experiences in my own kitchen (however mediocrely). Above all, I enjoy sharing my curiosity with my children.

Selected experience

  • Partner at ARGO since 2010, with leadership roles in Budapest, Chicago and Vienna
  • Managing Partner for Innovation & Marketing since 2026; previously Managing Partner for Operations & Delivery
  • Led consulting teams supporting the people side of Lean and Operational Excellence transformations
  • More than 20 years of experience in leadership development, organizational change and capability building
  • Former lecturer in coaching and consulting skills at Óbuda University
  • Certified in Transactional Analysis, Leading Change, Emotional Intelligence (ESCI), the SIZE Personality Model and Cambridge CELTA

Contact

m.strauss@argo.at