Every month we take a look at one of our employees who makes us the successful company we are today. Today we profile Matthew Shaw, an Analyst in the West Coast office in Seattle.
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Matthew Shaw
What are some memorable projects for you?
Managing multiple mortgage-backed securities projects certainly comes to mind. Just knowing that you are having such a large-scale financial and policy impact is an awesome feeling. I’ve also led a recent construction defect case, which was an interesting crossover for me as a civil engineer. Prior to Greenfield Advisors, some of my highlights included managing construction projects without causing harm to any endangered species and operating an excavator on a World War II-era barge to dig an underwater pipeline.
What lessons have you learned over your career?
You only get out what you put in. A career in consulting calls for long hours, and you need to be flexible and make personal sacrifices.
What made you choose your career path?
I am a problem solver by nature, and I love a challenge. Civil engineering is a perfect fit and was a great start to my career. However, broadening my horizons beyond that with an MBA was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I really enjoy applying my analytical focus with a practical perspective.
Why did you choose to work for Greenfield Advisors?
Greenfield Advisors really gave me the opportunity to advance all of my areas of knowledge and experience. For example, some of the litigation cases I have been involved in included environmental contamination, construction defects, financial securities, and insurance disputes. These complex problems really challenge and inspire me as an engineering and business professional. At Greenfield Advisors we have a strong multidisciplinary team, and combining that expertise is also extremely satisfying for me as a project manager.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Devonport, a small town of 25,000 in Tasmania, an island state of Australia. Tasmania has many wilderness world heritage areas and they are filled with some of the most unique marsupials around. The first thing I typically tell people is that the Tasmanian Devil does not actually spin like a tornado.
What was your first job?
At age thirteen, during my school holidays, I worked on my uncle’s farm as a laborer for $6 an hour. I leant what hard yakka (work) was: I’d come home after a long day covered in red dirt and fall asleep around 8 p.m. each night. I remember saving up enough for my first major purchase, a racing kayak, and not wanting to hand over the money because I knew what was required to earn it.
What are your favorite ways to spend your free time?
Wildwater kayaking, which is where you race down a river in a 15-foot, 20-pound, fiberglass kayak, trying not to break it on the rocks. I also enjoy getting out to the wilderness, and socializing while endeavoring not to perpetuate all of the Australian stereotypes.
Tell us about your family.
I live in Seattle with my partner of 3 years; she works as a social scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Back in Australia, my father is a high school principal, my mother is a palliative care nurse, and most of my family are farmers. I also have two younger brothers: one is conducting research and development for the farming industry, and the other is studying physiotherapy at university.
What’s your favorite vacation spot?
New Zealand. It’s an extreme sports mecca with spectacular scenery. It’s basically paradise.
What’s on your bucket list?
Definitely more American sightseeing—I still have to see the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls.
What’s one habit you do on a daily basis?
I need music to wake up in the morning; coffee just doesn’t do it for me. Somehow I still like that Seattle grunge sound.
Give us a few surprising facts about you that people may not know.
Since coming to the United States, I’ve developed a serious hot sauce addiction and have quite the collection. It has its own special cupboard in my kitchen. I’ve also read Gone with the Wind and seen the movie in Technicolor. This is where I get most of my American history.
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