Matthew Pickett: guiding others to a better future

As a business analytics manager, Matthew Pickett spends his days helping ensure BlueCross employees can trust, understand and effectively use the data that supports decision-making across the company. Whether he’s leading data governance initiatives, supporting applications or mentoring colleagues, Matt’s work centers on helping people succeed.

And for someone who has built a 20-year career at BlueCross, success has always been about building something bigger than himself.

“I’m lucky to work with a lot of really great people who are intelligent and passionate about what they do and how it helps our members,” Matt says. “Seeing the creative solutions that are developed to solve real problems is exciting.” 

Finding opportunity close to home

A lifelong resident of the Chattanooga and North Georgia area, Matt has traveled extensively with his family and seen much of the country. Yet every trip seems to reinforce his appreciation for home.

“Whenever we travel, I always ask myself if I’d want to move there,” he says. “Only a few places have come close for me to matching the combination of natural beauty, history, activities and convenient location of the Chattanooga area.”

Matt first came to BlueCross through the recommendation of friends who spoke highly of the company’s culture. Looking back, that decision shaped both his career and personal life.

“I started with BlueCross when I was fairly young and looking for a new job,” he says. “A couple of friends worked here and encouraged me to apply.”

Neither Matt nor his friends expected how much working at BlueCross would mean to them.

“I don’t think any of us realized at that time that almost 20 years later, we’d all still be with the company and have developed our careers as we have,” he says. “I even met my wife, Shannon, at BlueCross.”

Finding his place and passion

Like many at BlueCross, Matt’s journey began in customer service, and has included roles across operations and medical management, at one point taking advantage of BlueCross tuition reimbursement to earn a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Bethel University.

A move into Information Delivery about a decade ago proved transformational.

“I discovered a passion for data,” Matt says.

That passion eventually led him into leadership roles and into the growing field of data governance, an area focused on ensuring data is accurate, accessible and understood by the people who use it.

The work requires collaboration with teams across the enterprise. On any given day, Matt and his team might be interviewing users about application needs, documenting requirements,  testing solutions, onboarding new data sources or helping employees understand how information should be used.

“Data governance is such an exciting field because the better you are at it, the better you are at everything else you do,” he says.

“There’s no finish line for data governance. It’s always expanding with the goal to be better than you were the day before.”

Sharing knowledge and investing in others

One theme runs through much of Matt’s professional and personal life: helping others grow.

At work he takes on the role of mentor for other employees in the Achievers in Motion (AIM) program, sharing knowledge and insights  with others looking to grow their careers. In his free time, Matt travels with his family and volunteers with the Scouts, leading and helping to launch his daughter Averly’s all-girl Scouts BSA Troop 1070 as well as a Cub Scout Pack 3070 in the Cherokee Area Council. Last year he combined both interests, accompanying the troop on a two-week tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, with another excursion to the Grand Canyon planned for next summer.

For Matt, the program’s value goes far beyond camping and outdoor adventures.

“It’s a great way to get outdoors and learn life skills,” he says. “We teach everything from loyalty and helpfulness to financial literacy, leadership and other skills that prepare kids to be good members of their community.”

Fostering community, whether on his team at work or around a campfire, feeds Matt’s passion for leadership.

“I’m lucky,” Matt says, “I get to work with a lot of really great people who are intelligent and passionate about building something together that helps others.”