A high achiever with a military background, Matthew Thwaites combines Ivy League academics, endurance athletics, and mission-driven leadership. He holds an MBA in statistics and data science from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar and the Hildebrandt Award winner, having graduated with a 3.97 GPA. Matthew Thwaites previously earned his BA from Yale University, graduating cum laude while serving as president of Trumbull College and competing as a four-year varsity track and cross-country athlete. He also has an applied data science specialization from the University of Michigan.

Before transitioning into data analytics and technology, Matthew Thwaites served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army for almost 10 years, including two years in special operations. He was a rifle platoon leader and scout platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division, then company executive officer of the 75th Ranger Regiment, and finally company commander and battalion operations officer for the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team. In the latter role, Matthew Thwaites oversaw multimillion-dollar resources and played a key role in preparing units for deployment. His service also included advising senior leaders during international peace negotiations, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star.

After his Army service Matthew Thwaites joined the technology sector, first as a marketing analytics manager with Big Time Studios and later the director of analytics for Open Loot Studios, where he currently serves. A certified Python programmer and TensorFlow AI professional developer, Matthew Thwaites leads teams in building data systems that optimize games.