HIFI Highlight: Matthew

Matthew Bussey

Position: Senior Project Manager

Joined the HIFI team: June 2021

Matthew Bussey never originally planned on a career in project management. Originally, he set out to pursue a career in filmmaking and screenwriting, earning a degree in English with a minor in cinema studies from Rutgers University. However, his career took an unexpected path. He spent 15 years working for a educational assessment company in Durham before transitioning into academic publishing and then finally joining HIFI in June 2021 as a Senior Project Manager.

When Matthew joined HIFI, he had no previous experience in financial marketing or the financial services industry. This transition meant learning an entirely new set of terminology and concepts, including terms like Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), all of which quickly became familiar after managing several campaigns. “Project management takes on a whole new meaning in different fields, so what’s for educational assessment might not work for marketing and vice versa,” he shared.

As a project manager, Matthew’s role is focused on making sure all of the right pieces are in place for projects to move forward. He looks ahead to anticipate upcoming work, identify potential roadblocks, and make sure the creative team has what they need to do their jobs effectively. Rather than closely managing every step, Matthew relies on the team’s expertise while providing oversight and stepping in when needed.

Despite the organizational nature of project management, Matthew enjoys that there is also a creative side to the role. Designing workflows, determining which teammates are best suited for different tasks, and figuring out how quickly a project can realistically move from one stage to the next all require creativity and problem-solving.

As project management has evolved, technology has changed not only how teams organize their work, but also how project managers approach their roles. For Matthew, part of the role now involves assessing where these technologies can add value to HIFI’s workflows and how they can help teams work more efficiently. Tools like Asana and Fireflies are examples of how these advancements have become integrated into the day-to-day project management process.

After more than five years at HIFI, Matthew’s role continues to combine organization, problem-solving, technology, and creativity. Looking forward, Matthew is excited to see how project management continues to evolve alongside emerging technologies, and how HIFI’s project management team can continue to grow and adapt with it.