Matt Schrader

Background

About Matt Schrader

I work with organizations facing high-stakes decisions — teaching and advising on how to negotiate with clarity, purpose, and strategy. Currently, I serve as a Senior Facilitator with Watershed Associates, where I lead negotiation training and advisory engagements for leadership teams at multinational, publicly traded, and government-sector organizations. My focus is on applying structured negotiation frameworks to real-world environments — including multi-party deals, internal alignment, and stakeholder management. Before entering the private advisory world, I held executive roles in federal contracting — serving as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer for a firm negotiating with government contracting officers, joint venture partners, and subcontractors. I’ve built pricing models, managed contract risk, and led negotiations that ranged from $20K tactical awards to contributing as a subcontractor to an $8 million government project. Earlier in my career, I spent over two decades in the military — including 13 years as a Pararescueman (PJ) in Alaska — where mission execution, team dynamics, and leadership under pressure were not abstractions. What ties my work together is a practical commitment to helping people align interests, make sound decisions, and reach agreements that last.