Matt Ekstrom

Co-Founder

Phoenix, Arizona, United States19 yrs 6 mos experience

AI Enabled

Key Highlights

Built GTM engines for multiple startups.
Drove $1M+ in revenue through outbound sales.
Co-founded successful sales training platform.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a SaaS and HR Tech expert with extensive sales leadership experience.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

GtmSales ManagementSalesCoaching & MentoringGo-to-market StrategySales OperationsEntrepreneurship

Other Skills

Outbound SalesEnterprise Software SalesSales Process DevelopmentSales and MarketingSales ProcessConsultative SellingBusiness DevelopmentSales PresentationsNegotiationDirect SalesArtificial Intelligence (AI)Digital MarketingCold CallingSellingSolution Selling

About

I've spent 17 years building and scaling go-to-market engines, from seed-stage chaos to $500K+ enterprise cycles. I know what it looks like when a sales motion runs on heroics instead of process. That's exactly the problem I'm here to solve at Sync2Hire. I'm the Founding Head of GTM at Sync2Hire, the collaboration layer your ATS doesn't have. Sync2Hire cuts time-to-hire by centralizing the hiring team communication that's currently scattered across email, Slack, and text, and keeping it synchronized with your ATS. I'm building the GTM motion from scratch: positioning, ICP, outbound strategy, messaging, and the sales systems that will scale it. My background spans startup GTM, outbound sales leadership, and building first-sales-motion playbooks across HR tech, TA tech, and Recruiting tech. I've built SDR teams, closed enterprise deals, co-founded a data enrichment startup that was acquired by Allegis, and created demand-gen engines that drove thousands of qualified leads. I also co-founded The Sales Animal [thesalesanimal.com] — a sales training and community platform helping reps and leaders book more meetings and build momentum without sounding like everyone else. If you're in talent acquisition, HR tech, or building a hiring team at scale, I'd love to connect. Sync2Hire is worth a look. https://calendly.com/mekstrom-sync2hire/demo

Experience

19 yrs 6 mos

Total Experience

2 yrs 5 mos

Average Tenure

8 mos

Current Experience

Sync2hire

Founding Head of GTM

Mar 2026 – Present · 1 mo · Greater Phoenix Area

Joined Sync2Hire as the first GTM hire, partnering directly with Founder & CEO Brian Sherlock to build the go-to-market engine from the ground up.
Sync2Hire cuts time-to-hire by centralizing the hiring team communication that's currently scattered across email, Slack, and text, and keeping it synchronized with your ATS to the right job, the right stage, and the right people.
As Founding Head of GTM, I'm responsible for:
Building and executing outbound sales strategy and demand generation from zero
Defining brand positioning, messaging, and editorial content strategy for the HR tech market
Establishing the full sales motion: ICP, sequencing, pipeline development, and deal execution
Creating partnerships and co-marketing initiatives within the ATS ecosystem (iCIMS, and others)
Designing and scaling revenue operations infrastructure to support early growth and future team expansion
Bringing a decade-plus of HR tech GTM experience — from co-founding and growing HiringSolved to exit, co-founding and growing Prospectify into Techstars and an AngelList acquisition, to driving $1M+ in first-year outbound revenue at RecruitingDaily, among others — to help Sync2Hire establish its market position and scale.
Book a Demo: https://calendly.com/mekstrom-sync2hire/demo

GTMOutbound SalesEnterprise Software SalesSales Process DevelopmentSales ManagementSales and Marketing+1

Sales animal

Coach and Advisor

Aug 2025 – Present · 8 mos · Greater Phoenix Area

Sales Animal is a sales training and community platform built by leaders and sellers, for sellers with one mission: help professionals and teams level up without the boring, cookie-cutter “sales training” that doesn’t stick.
We deliver:
Bite-sized training modules that actually teach real-world tactics (cold calls, outreach, quota attainment, and more)
Community support where sellers can swap playbooks, share hard lessons, and celebrate wins
1:1 coaching + live sessions from seasoned pros still in the game
Practical frameworks that help sellers fix the fear, boost confidence, and consistently hit numbers
At Sales Animal, we’re building a movement where professionals can sharpen their edge, have fun doing it, and feel supported in the grind.
Companies spend millions on sales kickoffs and generic workshops that don’t move the needle. We cut through the noise with programs built by leaders and operators who have lived it: scaling startups, leading Fortune 500 teams, and driving exits.
Find out what Sales Animal you are and where you can improve with our free assessment. https://assessment.thesalesanimal.com/
If you’re a CEO, sales leader, or individual rep who wants training that actually works (and doesn’t suck), let’s connect. https://www.thesalesanimal.com/contact

SalesCoaching & MentoringConsultative SellingBusiness DevelopmentGo-to-Market StrategySales Process+5

Chatterworks

Head of GTM

Jul 2023 – Mar 2026 · 2 yrs 8 mos · Greater Phoenix Area · Remote

Built GTM and outbound sales strategy, including brand positioning, editorial content, and sales motion design
Created dozens of articles, e-books, and a product rollout podcast strategy https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/the-talent-shift-powered-by-chatterworks
Built demand-gen and sales plans to scale early-stage growth driving over 4k qualified sales leads
Supported post-funding revenue operations and team development roadmap

Go-to-Market StrategySales ManagementSales Process Development

Recruitingdaily.com

Lead Outbound Account Executive

May 2021 – Jun 2023 · 2 yrs 1 mo · Greater Phoenix Area

Drove $1M+ in net new revenue in first year through outbound execution including deals with iCims, Greenhouse, Indeed, Gem, and more
Created content partnerships and co-marketing deals to expand brand footprint
Built and led the first outbound sales strategy from scratch

Sales PresentationsSales ProcessSalesDirect SalesSales and MarketingSales Management

Clearvoice

SDR Manager

May 2019 – May 2021 · 2 yrs · Phoenix, Arizona Area

Hired and coached SDR team from the ground up; implementing quota, comp plans, sales process, development tracks, and more
Increased inbound lead conversions from 10% → 30%+ within 120 days
Drove 50% YoY increase in net-new customers and 10% increase in average order size
Reduced cost per qualified meeting by 80% through optimized outbound plays

Sales OperationsSales ProcessSales ManagementSalesGo-to-Market Strategy

Prospectify

Co-Founder

Oct 2015 – Mar 2019 · 3 yrs 5 mos · Phoenix, Arizona Area

Built the GTM engine and sales ops from scratch; led customer acquisition and brand awareness, closing major enterprise deals: Informatica, ZipRecruiter, AngelList
Led sales and marketing initiatives across SaaS data enrichment and sales tools
Closed first $5M in funding and were selected into Techstars accelerator
Acquired by AngelList

Sales PresentationsSales OperationsSales ProcessSales ManagementSalesEntrepreneurship+2

Revenuedriv.in

Founder, Growth Enthusiast

Dec 2014 – Dec 2015 · 1 yr · Scottsdale, AZ

RevenueDriv.in helps entrepreneurs and small business owners scale their sales, drive revenue, and/or grow their user base. We also work with C-level executives at enterprise organizations who want to shake things up and tap into the "growth hacking" boom.
Grew from $0-$20,000 MRR in just 7 months
Provide project management coordinating contracts, contractors, and sub-contractors

Hiringsolved, inc.

Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer

Mar 2013 – Dec 2014 · 1 yr 9 mos · Phoenix, Arizona Area

Acquired by Allegis Global Solutions.
Led team in all sales and marketing efforts creating SDR --> AE team driving the first $1M in revenue and beyond
Grew partnerships with big brands including Thomson-Reuters, Cisco, Korn Ferry, and others
Created a real-time system of revenue recognition for all stakeholders including investors, CPAs, and employees tasked with growing the company

Sales

Tweetmyjobs

Senior Account Executive

Aug 2011 – Feb 2013 · 1 yr 6 mos · Phoenix, Arizona Area

Managed and consulted enterprise level, global accounts on talent acquisition initiatives and strategies particularly in utilizing social and mobile technology. Educated partners on the latest trends in social and mobile recruitment and helped cultivate customized strategies that facilitated attracting and retaining the best available talent.
Some top clients I worked with are Nordstrom, Rue21, Expedia, Brinker, Royal Bank of Canada, and PF Chang's.

Sales

Monster worldwide

2 roles

Team Leader

Jul 2009 – Jul 2010 · 1 yr

Successfully led a team of 12 sales consultants to a significant increase in productivity through coaching and motivation.

Senior Account Executive

Jan 2006 – Feb 2011 · 5 yrs 1 mo

Managed a book of over 1,000 clients successfully retaining and growing their spend.
Often took leadership roles among my team members in generating ideas and reporting feedback.
Successfully completed numerous sales training courses e.g. Question Based Selling, Value Selling, Business Acumen, Think Inc! Negotiation, BASHO, R3 Sales, SPIN Selling, and Beyond Selling Value.

Sales