Matthew Blazevich
Sr. Manager Business Innovation Office, Computing Services, Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Actions
Presenter Biography:
Matt is a certified project management and change management professional with over 20 years of experience managing people, projects, and teams in various industry sectors that include higher education, major retail, technology, and manufacturing. In his current role as Senior Manager of Business Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University, Matt manages a team of professional business consultants responsible for leading enterprise change efforts. He oversees the Business Innovation Office practices, operational processes, and reporting. Additionally, Matt is responsible for Carnegie Mellon University’s major IT projects program. You may recognize Matt, he was on the closing panel at the 2023 conference and facilitated sessions in 2024 and 2025.
Badges
Area of Expertise
Topics
Using AI to Automate Complex Operational Tasks
In this collaborative discussion, leadership from the CMU Business Innovation Office shares a case study on utilizing custom AI agents—specifically Google Gems—to automate administrative hurdles and increase brand relevancy. We examine the transition from manual drafting of proposals to a tool that generates structured business proposals from raw project data. Participants will review the specific documentation and templates used to train these agents for project proposals and web collateral. The session concludes with a facilitated peer exchange for participants to share their own institutional implementations and pilot programs, fostering a community of practice around AI automation.
PRECONFERENCE: Practical Process Improvement: A Comprehensive Crash Course
This interactive, four-hour workshop offers a practical "crash course" in process improvement and analysis, specifically tailored for higher education professionals. Through a collaborative, case-study-driven approach rooted in Lean Six Sigma methodologies, participants will master essential tools and techniques. We address critical questions: How do I define process boundaries? Which mapping type is appropriate? How do I prioritize and organize improvement initiatives? Attendees will gain the confidence to map their current states, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop actionable improvement plans. Participants will leave equipped with ready-to-use templates to drive efficiency and excellence at their home institutions.
Elevating Impact: Demonstrating Value to University Leadership
With higher education facing unprecedented financial pressures, demonstrating clear value to executive leadership is more critical than ever. This workshop empowers leaders/managers of internal consultancies and organizational effectiveness units to do just that. We’ll explore five key areas: aligning with strategy, leveraging data and reporting, optimizing executive communication, focusing on key value drivers, and building executive relationships. Using facilitated prompts and small team brainstorming, participants will develop group-sourced strategies to quantify impact, tailor communication, and build trust—essential for ensuring their contributions are recognized and prioritized by university leadership.
Optimizing the Operations of an Internal Consultancy
The Business Innovation Office, an internal consultancy in IT at Carnegie Mellon University, will demonstrate how they operate their project intake, scoping, and resourcing processes through the use of the basic Google Apps suite of tools. This is a low-tech, low-cost demonstration of highly effective operational portfolio management.
Matthew Blazevich
Sr. Manager Business Innovation Office, Computing Services, Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Actions
Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers. If you suspect this profile to be fake or spam, please let us know.
Jump to top