Transformative Experiences in the Cyber-Physical Systems Program
Matthieu Delatour, MS’25, cyber-physical systems, would describe his experience at Northeastern so far as transformative. The innovative projects he has created during classes and his impactful co-op opportunity at Sunny Benefits have prepared Delatour for a future job in product management in the technology industry.
Matthieu Delatour is a current student in the MS in cyber-physical systems program. Before joining Northeastern University, he worked at ATIM, an IoT company, where he focused on international sales and strategy. While he enjoyed the business side of the work, his frequent collaboration with engineers sparked a growing curiosity about the technical side. This interest ultimately inspired him to pursue engineering, with the long-term goal of moving into product management, where he can bridge sales and engineering while focusing on creating meaningful user experiences.
That motivation led Delatour to pursue a master’s degree, and Northeastern felt like the perfect choice. The university’s cyber-physical systems program was an ideal fit given his IoT background, offering him the chance to not only explore coding and digital technologies but also put them into practice. Two courses stood out: “Advanced Product Management”, where he gained frameworks and developed a true product mindset, and “Connected Devices”, which gave him hands-on experience with Java and Python while deepening his understanding of IoT systems.
The curriculum at Northeastern has been directly aligned with Delatour’s professional aspirations of moving from sales and engineering into product management. It has allowed him to both strengthen his technical foundation and develop the product mindset needed to bridge his experience with his future goals.
Delatour feels fortunate to have had faculty and mentors who truly shaped his journey. He credits Rolando Herrero, director of the Cyber-Physical Systems program, for encouraging him to look beyond IoT and explore Product courses that aligned with his aspirations. He also highlights the support of his Assistant Co-op Coordinator Josie Cucciniello, whose encouragement and motivation were invaluable especially when the job market was challenging. Their guidance made a lasting impact, helping him stay focused and confident in his path forward.
Delatour secured a co-op at Sunny Benefits, a healthcare fintech startup that helps employers and insurance companies promote healthier lifestyles through monetary and sweepstakes-based rewards. During his co-op, he worked on a variety of impactful projects. He managed the product backlog, wrote detailed requirements and designed user flows and mockups in Figma to enhance usability. He also collaborated closely with engineering to test and validate features and drove development on key initiatives such as the Customer Service Management tool, which streamlined internal support processes and IVR/chatbot capabilities that improved user self-service. Additionally, he leveraged user feedback to identify friction points and suggested enhancements to better align the product with user expectations.
Delatour secured his co-op by applying through NUworks and proactively networking on LinkedIn with professionals at the company. One of these connections became his sponsor and helped him land the role. The co-op program itself was a defining part of his journey, providing the opportunity to gain professional experience in the United States, explore how product development and management operate in the industry, and immerse himself in American work culture. This practical exposure has been invaluable in preparing him for the next steps in his career.
Projects and Innovations
During his time at Northeastern, Delatour had the opportunity to work on both personal and group projects that pushed him to apply what he was learning in class. One of the most meaningful experiences was in his “Advanced Product Management” course, where he and his team focused on WHOOP, the fitness wearable company. They analyzed the company’s initial assumptions, identified opportunities in a fragmented market and developed a product strategy centered on injury prevention and user engagement. The project was a valuable way to apply frameworks and practice thinking like a product manager.
Of course, group projects came with their own challenges. Coordinating across different schedules, aligning priorities and ensuring everyone’s contributions came together cohesively wasn’t always easy. Delatour learned to communicate proactively, take ownership of tasks when needed and keep the team focused on outcomes rather than individual preferences. These experiences taught him valuable lessons in leadership and collaboration.
Extracurricular Activities
Delatour did not participate in hackathons or competitions during his time at Northeastern, choosing instead to focus on coursework, group projects and his co-op experience opportunities that allowed him to apply what he was learning in real-world contexts. Through classes like “Advanced Product Management” and “Connected Devices”, as well as his co-op at Sunny Benefits, he practiced solving real problems, collaborating with diverse teams and building tangible solutions. For Delatour, these experiences offered the same level of challenge and growth that hackathons often provide, but in environments directly aligned with his career goals in product management.
Future Perspective
Looking back, Delatour’s time at Northeastern was transformative, providing him with the technical foundation and product management skills needed to bridge his sales experience with engineering and move toward the career he envisioned. Coming from sales and IoT, he always knew he wanted to stand at the intersection of business and engineering, and Northeastern gave him the tools to make that possible. What he values most about the university is how it encouraged him to explore, learn and practice across disciplines. The combination of academic rigor, hands-on projects and the co-op program gave him confidence in his ability to adapt, lead and grow in fast-paced environments.
Looking ahead, Delatour hopes to work in a product-led company delivering impactful tech solutions, whether software or hardware, with the goal of creating products that offer an excellent user experience grounded in simplicity and usability so that technology feels accessible, intuitive and valuable to those who use it.