KUNGFU.AI Arms for Enterprise AI Race with New Marketing and Revenue Chiefs

AUSTIN, TX – August 20, 2026

In a move that signals a significant strategic pivot towards aggressive market expansion, KUNGFU.AI, a management consulting and engineering firm focused exclusively on artificial intelligence, today announced the appointment of two seasoned executives to its leadership team. Matt Mason joins as the company’s first Chief Marketing Officer, and Brooke Hovey takes the helm as Chief Revenue Officer.

The appointments are far more than a routine C-suite shuffle. They represent a calculated offensive by the Austin-based firm to scale its impact and solidify its position in the fiercely competitive enterprise AI landscape. Founded in 2017, KUNGFU.AI has built a reputation for its unique model of embedding strategists and full-stack engineers within client organizations to move AI from ambition to operational reality. Now, it's betting that world-class commercial leadership is the key to unlocking its next phase of growth.

“The AI market is evolving at an extraordinary pace, and the opportunity ahead for KUNGFU.AI is enormous,” said Stephen Straus, co-founder and CEO. He emphasized that the new hires bring a powerful combination of skills crucial for this moment. “Brooke understands how to build and grow world-class professional services organizations, while Matt has spent his career creating markets at the edge of emerging technology. That combination is incredibly powerful as we build the capabilities to reach more organizations and help them turn AI ambition into the catalyst that changes the basis of competition in their industries.”

The New Vanguard: A Blend of Frontier Tech and Global Growth

The backgrounds of Mason and Hovey are a testament to the kind of hybrid expertise KUNGFU.AI believes is necessary to win. They are not traditional tech executives but seasoned leaders who have operated at the complex intersection of emerging technology, culture, and global business.

Matt Mason is a well-known figure in circles that track frontier technology. With a 20-year career spent building brands for narratively complex companies, he previously served as the first CMO of the cryptocurrency giant Kraken and led marketing at BitTorrent as it scaled to 175 million users. Recognized by Fast Company as one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business,” Mason’s expertise lies in cutting through industry hype to build compelling market narratives—a skill desperately needed in the often-overheated AI sector.

“KUNGFU.AI was built for this moment,” Mason said. “In a space defined by noise and hype, KUNGFU.AI's work speaks for itself, but as a marketer, my job is to help them say it louder. I couldn't be more excited to help amplify all that they do.”

Brooke Hovey brings a different but equally critical set of capabilities. With over two decades of experience at global communications powerhouse WPP, she has a deep understanding of how to build and scale professional services on a global stage. She held roles including global president of BCW and, most recently, global chief strategy officer of Burson. More than just a corporate veteran, Hovey is also an entrepreneur in the AI space, having co-founded CrisisCommand, an AI-powered crisis preparedness platform, and founded Jetson, a consulting collective advising AI-focused businesses. This hands-on experience gives her a unique perspective on translating AI’s potential into tangible business solutions.

“KUNGFU.AI is already an exceptional company, and it has the distinct value proposition and capabilities to become an AI leader on a much bigger stage,” Hovey stated. “My vision is to build a growth engine that scales the company’s success and impact, making KUNGFU.AI top of mind for any business leader considering the right AI partner.”

From 'Pilot Purgatory' to Production Powerhouse

The timing of these hires is critical. The enterprise world is grappling with a significant disconnect between its AI aspirations and its actual results. A recent “Wayfinding Report” published by KUNGFU.AI in partnership with Wakefield Research laid this bare, revealing that while C-suite confidence in AI is high, 74% of leaders admit to overstating their outlook. More tellingly, only 14% say most of their AI investments have delivered a return.

This is the infamous chasm of “pilot purgatory,” where promising AI projects fail to transition from isolated experiments into scalable, value-generating production systems. The challenges are numerous: poor data quality, integration with legacy systems, a persistent talent shortage, and a lack of clear strategy connecting technology to business outcomes.

It is precisely this problem that KUNGFU.AI has built its business to solve. Its model of “strategy-led engineering” is designed to bridge the gap. The firm’s case studies provide concrete evidence of its impact, from automating $18 billion in annual financial transactions for a client—slashing invoice approval times from minutes to seconds—to helping the Department of Defense implement AI at scale and deploying computer vision to detect runway threats in aerospace. By embedding its teams, the firm ensures that AI solutions are not just technically sound but are also aligned with strategic goals and capable of delivering measurable business value.

The Maturation of the AI Services Market

The strategic hires at KUNGFU.AI reflect a broader maturation in the AI services industry. The market is exploding, with various analysts projecting a compound annual growth rate of over 25%, pushing the global market size toward $75 billion by 2034. As the market grows, the requirements for success are changing.

In the early days of the AI boom, technical prowess and algorithmic ingenuity were the primary differentiators. Now, as enterprises move from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, the ability to communicate value, build strategic client relationships, and deliver solutions at scale has become paramount.

“The AI services landscape is littered with brilliant technical demos that never became viable products,” commented one industry analyst. “The winners in this next phase will be those who can bridge that gap between the lab and the business unit. Hiring top-tier commercial talent is no longer a luxury; it’s a core strategic imperative.”

While giant consulting firms like Deloitte and PwC have established broad AI practices, specialized firms like KUNGFU.AI are carving out a significant niche by offering deep, focused expertise. The challenge for these specialists has always been scaling that expertise without diluting it. The appointments of Mason and Hovey suggest KUNGFU.AI believes the answer lies in building a robust commercial engine to match its engineering and strategic firepower.

This move acknowledges a fundamental truth of the modern technology landscape: the best product doesn’t always win. The winner is often the one with the clearest story, the strongest client relationships, and the most effective strategy for reaching the organizations that need it most. With recent validation from industry analysts at Gartner and a growing portfolio of high-impact projects, KUNGFU.AI has a strong foundation. These new leaders are now tasked with building a global platform upon it.