Matthew Newman is the 2025 Michael and Deborah Thawley Scholar in International Security at the Lowy Institute and Center for Strategic and International Studies. His research will focus on the utility of geopolitical risk advisory to enhance Australian private sector resilience and preparedness. During his time in the United States, Matthew will explore the evolution and expansion of geopolitical services and how they can be replicated in an Australian setting.

Matthew is currently a Surface Warfare Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, and his career has included operational postings to HMA Ships Newcastle, Maitland and Ballarat as well as roles in Navy Headquarters in Canberra. In 2023, Matthew was awarded a General Sir John Monash Scholarship and completed postgraduate study in international relations and public policy at both the London School of Economics and University of Oxford.

He has written extensively on international affairs, exploring topics such as the uptake of climate security in the Australian and United States militaries, sub-national actors in Australia's diplomatic order, and the geopolitical implications of the conclave.