Matt has been a key member of the IFA team for the past 12 years, building extensive relationships with all three segments of the IFA membership: franchisors, franchisees & suppliers. Throughout that time, he has held several roles including Communications Director, Vice President of Public Affairs, Chief of Staff to the CEO and Senior Vice President, Public Affairs. In 2017, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs and then CEO and President of the entire organization in June 2021.
During his tenure leading IFA’s advocacy strategy, Matt expanded the association’s lobbying, coalition building, grassroots, research, and communications capabilities. Additionally, he took on some of our more difficult challenges, including defending the business model against the joint employer threat and significant legislative and regulatory issues at the federal, state & local levels. During the pandemic, Matt led the team’s focus on helping the franchise business model survive, ensuring the Paycheck Protection Program and other relief efforts included eligibility for franchise businesses, while working with the internal team to innovate how to provide IFA members real value for their membership in the association.
Prior to joining IFA in October 2010, Matt was director of industry relations at the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, where he developed PCMA’s member and affiliate initiatives surrounding key industry issues. Previously, he served as manager of political affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he managed the Chamber’s $20 million budget for political and issue advocacy campaigns during the 2004 and 2006 election cycles. Matthew has also held positions as legislative assistant for UPS Corporate Public Affairs and as a director of public affairs at Levick Strategic Communications, LLC.
Matt received a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He now resides in Washington, D.C.
You can contact Matt at mhaller@franchise.org or 202-662-0770 and follow him on Twitter @Franchising411.