Matthew Podger studied Jurisprudence (Law) at Christ Church, Oxford University from 2006 to 2009 where he gained an academic exhibition, following which he attended BBP Law School’s Legal Practice course, for which he was awarded a commendation. Matthew was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2013.

From 2011 to 2013, Matthew worked as a trainee solicitor at the firm Slaughter and May, during which time he was seconded to the Financing department of Allens Linklaters in Australia. Returning to Slaughter and May in 2013, Matthew was again seconded in 2016, this time to Deutsche Bank, London, where he worked in the bank’s Special Equities team. From 2017 to 2019 he held the position of associate solicitor in the Financing department of the firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton.

Matthew left the legal profession in 2019 to open his own fully independent bar business, Schooner Bar, in Wandsworth, London. After finding and fitting out an appropriate site, the business opened for trading in early 2021. As part of setting up and running Schooner Bar, Matthew was involved in every aspect of the business, including branding, business planning and financial modelling, site acquisition and lease negotiation, ensuring regulatory compliance, accounting, budgeting and reporting.

In January 2023, Matthew sold Schooner Bar and is now looking for his next challenge.

Matthew is married and has a young son, and he loves spending time with his family whenever he can. He is a lifelong keen sailor and a member of the Bristol Barracuda Sailing Team, the Oxford University Yacht Club and the Oxford Cambridge Sailing Society.