Matthew Barish Joins Imaginary Forces as Chief Operating Officer

Los Angeles-based design studio and creative agency Imaginary Forces is delighted to welcome Matthew Barish as chief operating officer. With over 12 years of experience in managing the four Ps – people, process, profit, and production – Matthew is the first COO in the company’s 26-year history. 

Skilled in simplifying the complex, pushing projects forward, and wrangling just the right resources, Matthew believes in playing an active role in the setting of company strategy as well as its implementation and execution – from tackling staff strategy, to overseeing internal operations, and project management. “I like to be part of the bigger picture,” he says. “I like to put the pieces together; it never has to be one or the other.”

A seasoned industry professional, Matthew believes in empowering talent and organizations to push beyond preconceived boundaries and breakthrough to new levels of delivery, growth, and expansion. “The greater good isn’t only the company, but the people. Imaginary Forces has strong creatives; it’s simply the culture. I’m looking forward to helping to promote every voice within the company – getting people happy about what they're doing and excited about their potential and growth at IF.”

“For the past 26 years, Imaginary Forces has pushed, pulled, and prodded Design, Entertainment, and Technology to create ground-breaking moments for our partners,” says Chip Houghton, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Imaginary Forces. “Today we see new, gigantic opportunities to connect and engage audiences. Matthew has joined the Forces as COO to lead, streamline, and execute the Studio’s vision of what we believe is possible. I’m thrilled and grateful. This is one of those moments.”

Peter Frankfurt, executive creative director and co-founder adds: “Matthew has what it takes to help make Imaginary Forces the very best version of itself. It’s exciting to have him join the team at such an interesting moment in our story."

Prior to joining Imaginary Forces, Matthew was Senior Talent Manager at R/GA for a year-long tenure. Before that he worked as a freelance project manager, talent recruiting, and resource manager for five-and-a-half years. Prior to that, Matthew was Operations Manager at The Mill. He holds a B.A. in History from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from University of Oregon – Charles H. Lundquist College of Business.