Matt is widely respected for his skills at building networks globally, along with his ability to get and analyse information. He is regarded by many as a strategic thinker and pathfinder.
Matt served as an Australian Army Officer for over 19 years, and is a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon. During his military service he received the Australian Active Service Medal for operational service in East Timor during 2002-2003 as the Lead Operations and Plans Officer for the Australian Defence Force.
Matt’s military experience included deployment on border protection duties serving as the Transit Security Element Commander where he assisted the successful interception and returning of SIEV 14 (Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel). As Desk Officer within the Land Component Joint Operations Command, Matt was responsible to stand-up then manage the Australian Army response to the 2004 Aceh tsunami relief effort.
Matt’s career included various instructional responsibilities, and a broad range of regimental postings including service with the Parachute Battalion Group as part of the Australian Army’s Rapid Deployment Force. Matt was detached outside of Australia on several occasions including deployments to Malaysia, Singapore and the United States.
During his military service, Matt completed a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations and Security Studies) and a Masters of Business Administration.
In 2004, Matt received a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to undertake research through UK and USA to examine successful models of social enterprise.
In 2008, Matt was presented with a Leadership Award from the then Australian Governor General, Major General Michael Jeffery, AC, AO, CVO, MC and Australian prime minister, the Honorable Kevin Rudd MP, at the Australian Davos Connection Future Summit.
Matt commenced a Vincent Fairfax Fellowship at the beginning of 2009. The Vincent Fairfax Fellowship is awarded to selected Australian leaders to increase their capacity for ethical deliberation in order to contribute to a better society.
As part of the Vincent Fairfax Fellowship, earlier in 2010 Matt spent three months in South Korea examining an ethical question: ‘should business have a role in changing a relationship with North Korea?’
In March 2010, Matt attended by invitation a Vietnamese Government sponsored regional conference examining ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ held in Hanoi.
In May 2010, Matt attended by invitation the Korean World Forum hosted out of the European Union Parliament in Brussels.
Matt visited China in 2007 by invitation of Zhejiang University to examine the development of social entrepreneurship and social innovation within the region.
In November of 2008 and 2009, Matt through Social Alchemy provided the Australian host organisation for Global Entrepreneurship Week which in its second year (2009) extended across over 88 countries to inspire, connect, mentor and engage the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Matt was a participant in the Benevolent Society’s year-long ‘Social Leadership Program’ in 2004 which has shaped his perspective on corporate responsibility and how to achieve social impact.
Matt has a passion for social entrepreneurship and how this can strengthen corporate responsibility to benefit a healthy society in a peaceful world. He has been a regular delegate at the Skoll World Forum of Social Entrepreneurship held at Oxford University since 2005.
