Los Angeles, California, United States, October 2025 – Highwire, a strategic marketing communications agency operating at the intersection of innovation and industry, has announced the appointment of Matt Harshbarger as its new Director of People Operations. In this role, Matt will lead initiatives focused on organizational development, performance management, employee learning, and engagement—key to driving Highwire’s people-first culture across its hybrid workforce.
Before joining Highwire, Matt spent nearly four years at Sid Lee, a global creative agency, where he most recently served as Director of Talent and Culture. During his tenure, he led initiatives in HR transformation, workforce planning, total rewards, and leadership development across multi-site operations in North America, playing a pivotal role in aligning HR strategies with creative business outcomes.
Earlier, Matt was associated with Sweet Flower, a leading retail organization, where he served as Senior Human Resources Manager and Senior HR Consultant. He was instrumental in shaping employee engagement, multi-state HR compliance, and retail HR transformation. His work contributed to building a scalable HR framework during the organization’s expansion phase.
Prior to that, he managed human resources functions at Lovisa Pty Ltd, where he partnered with executive teams to drive HR compliance and leadership training initiatives for the U.S. market. He also played a key advisory role for executives in Australia on U.S. labor practices and employee relations.
Earlier in his career, Matt served as Operations Manager at Forever 21, where he oversaw HR and operational projects including the successful launch of the beauty concept ‘Riley Rose.’ His cross-functional leadership and focus on employee development supported the company’s multi-store growth strategy. He also gained valuable experience in HR at TPx Communications and Azami Inc., where he managed benefits programs, employee relations, and compliance for large workforces.
Matt holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Global Business from the University of Redlands.
About Highwire
Highwire is a strategic marketing communications agency operating at the intersection of innovation and industry. With integrated capabilities across strategic communications, creative, and insights, Highwire partners with ambitious brands in B2B tech, healthcare, cybersecurity, energy, and financial services to help them lead markets, navigate complexity, and grow with purpose. Through bold ideas and measurable impact, Highwire empowers organizations to rise above the noise and influence where it matters most.
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