For more than 15 years, Matthew Morris has been a driving force in Chicago’s finance scene, leading teams of investment analysts and strategists. In leadership roles at multinational financial institutions, he has guided teams focused on developing complex investment solutions for sophisticated clients. In addition to his professional work, Morris serves as a director of CFA Society Chicago, helping to shape the vision of the nation's oldest financial analyst society.

Now, he brings that real-world expertise to the classroom as he joins the faculty of his graduate alma mater, Gies College of Business.

Morris' career began with a hands-on approach to data and technology, teaching himself to code on the Bloomberg terminal. He went on to join his firm’s institutional consulting group, where he worked with major healthcare systems, some of the early adopters of socially responsible investing. That formative experience launched a career-long commitment to aligning investments with impact.

“For much of the last 15 years, I’ve worked with philanthropically inclined clients—private foundations, nonprofits, and mission-driven institutions—helping them align their investments with the causes they care about,” said Morris. “When people hear what I do, they sometimes say, ‘Oh, you’re just helping wealthy people get wealthier.’ And to some extent, that’s true. But many of these clients are using their wealth to fund billions in charitable giving. That changes the picture.”

Morris is especially excited to bring his expertise in impact investing to Gies Business, where he’ll contribute to a faculty known for bridging academic theory and industry practice. “The investment landscape is evolving quickly,” he said. “As a practitioner, I have to stay close to those changes. My goal is to bring that perspective into the classroom and help students connect theory to what's really happening in the field.”

This fall, Morris will teach FIN 425: Private Equity/Venture Capital. He’s looking forward to working closely with students and joining a dynamic community of specialized faculty.

“I’m excited to be part of a top-tier university that’s right here in my backyard,” he said. “Public education plays a critical role in making opportunity more equitable. Gies stands out for its accessibility, and I feel passionate about that mission. To me, this is what the future of education looks like.”