Managing Director, Research Strategist

Matthew Leatherman

Matthew Leatherman joined FCLT Global from North Carolina Department of State Treasurer where he served as Policy Director. Matthew contributed to the Department adopting a policy on long-term stewardship for approximately $100 billion of assets under its management and to updating practices for how staff incorporate longer-term factors into the evaluation of debt issued by local governments. He also was staff director of the Department’s Corporate Governance Committee, a body responsible for conducting the Department’s engagement with regulators, dialogue with corporate issuers, and voting of proxy ballots.

Matthew’s earlier career focused on U.S. fiscal research, most recently at the Stimson Center in Washington D.C. His commentary in outlets like Bloomberg Government was influential for understanding government shutdown and budget sequestration the terms of fiscal impact, management process, and the governance relationship between executive and legislative branches. Matthew advised the Rivlin-Domenici Debt Reduction Commission on military budgeting and management, including the structure of retirement and health care benefits for U.S. service-members. His fiscal research has been published by Foreign Affairs, International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, McClatchy-Tribune News Service, and other outlets.

Matthew is a Board member of the John Rex Endowment, a $75 million fund with a focus on improving mental health, preventing injury, and expanding access to healthy lifestyles for children in Wake County (NC). He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and holds degrees from the University of North Carolina and Columbia University.

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Investor-Corporate Engagement | Report

Beyond the Blame Game: Why the Proxy System Needs to Change

By Matthew Leatherman, Olivier Lebleu, CFA

18 December 2024 - A well-functioning proxy voting system is critical to support effective capital allocation and participation in the public markets. This report examines the factors that have led to the current situation and broaches potential solutions to build a stronger system.

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Mandates | Article

Owners and Managers Depend on Mandate Agreements to Focus on the Long Term

By Matthew Leatherman, Joel Paula

22 August 2024 - Asset owners – the cornerstones of the investment ecosystem – often have very long-term investment goals, such as building endowments for perpetuity and providing for the next generation. One of their challenges lies in in the fact that their assets are invested by external managers who may have vastly different time horizons and incentives in mind.

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Article

Empowering Long-Term Investment: Key Takeaways from IFSWF’s 2024 Governance Workshop

By Matthew Leatherman, Victoria Tellez

15 July 2024 - On 25 June 2024, FCLTGlobal joined the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds’ (IFSWF) Governance Workshop in London to lead a two-part discussion on avoiding short-term pressures and fostering a long-term investment ecosystem centered on meeting their citizens’ needs.

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