Matthew Lesh
Country Manager
Freshwater Strategy
Matthew Lesh is Country Manager for Freshwater Strategy, leading the research and advisory firm’s expansion into London. He is a public policy specialist with deep expertise in digital policy, regulation, and political communications, working across the UK and Australia.
Matthew is a regular media commentator and columnist for CityAM, with writing published in The Times, The Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian, and The Spectator.
Previously, he served as Director of Public Policy and Communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute, and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs. He has advised Australian politicians on digital communications and founded a mobile app start-up.
Matthew holds First Class Honours from the University of Melbourne and a Master’s in Public Policy from the London School of Economics.
Recent Events and Presentations
Challenging the Arguments Behind Youth Social Media Bans
Join us for a panel discussion examining the global movement to ban social media for youth, the tradeoffs these policies present, and alternative approaches that balance safety, rights, and the realities of growing up in a digital world.
