Matt Branch was born and raised in San Francisco leaving after high school to attend the University of Arizona. His initial intent was to become a doctor. “I scored really well on the MCAT, but I got cold feet about going back to school and decided to enter the workforce. I enjoy helping people and that’s still what I do [today]; I just help them in a different way.”
In 2010, Matt started his career with Chemsearch FE in a marketing role and various transitions led him to his May 2020 promotion to Vice President. In this role, he oversees the new representative side of the business. “[My career journey has] been a lot of fun… I started in a marketing role within the company and I was happy to have a job and be working with something that was new and challenging [the Bio-Amp]. It was right up my alley because of the whole science background. Then I transitioned into a brand management role, where I was heading up and helped launch the Ecoflow brand. I had been traveling around the country working with reps brand new and established. Results were good. Joe [O’Sullivan] made the call that I should transition into sales management and start with a young team on the West Coast. From there my team got bigger and bigger because the results were there.”
Matt says the most rewarding part of his job is when others are happy and enjoying their work. “That’s truly what makes me happy, is seeing others happy. Having a crummy day with reps is always the worst. I think about it until the moment I finally fall asleep. It makes me that much more on my game the next day to ensure we don’t have another goose egg.”
“[Professionally], FE allows me to continue to progress in my career and constantly challenges me to get better. The coaching and the mentorship I receive from my peers and leadership is what I attribute all my success to. As much as this business is you being alone a lot of the time, the idea of teamwork is so important. Sharing ideas between your peers and understanding how others are going about their business is so undervalued.”
“Working for FE [also] aligns so well with my life goals. I enjoy traveling for work, which allows me to see new places and meet customers and team members from all different walks of life.” When he’s not traveling, Matt is spending time with his wife, Christina – a two-time Olympic diver for the U.S. team, and their infant son, Lukas. His roles have taken him from Dallas to Los Angeles and finally to Chicago where he’s settling into the ‘family man’ lifestyle. “Being a father is truly one of the greatest gifts life can offer. I enjoy every free moment I have with my little guy.”
Asked who the biggest influence has been during his career, Matt says, “Joe O’Sullivan. He has never steered me wrong,” and proudly states his next steps as, “… [Joe is] someone I look up to and admire and eventually [I] want to take his job.”
