Meet the mentor: Matthew Hazell (1989)

Jesus College has an innovative Careers and Mentoring Programme matching current students and recent alumni with experienced alumni and leaders in their fields. One of our mentors, Matthew Hazell (1989), tells us more about his career, his mentoring experience, and his experience of being neurodiverse in the workplace. 

How did choose your career?

I didn’t have too much of an idea what career to choose back in 1996, coming from the Classics background as a degree and there weren't any resources such as Jesus Connect back then! I became a Chartered Accountant, training with a very traditional 10 partner firm in the City in the late 1990s and then moving from practice into commerce as soon as I qualified. I have worked in the Finance departments of 3 big Asset Managers over the last 20 years - Allianz Global Investors, Legal and General Investment Management and PIMCO. The last of these, PIMCO, the American bond investor, I have worked at for 13 years. 

At PIMCO I specialize in data presentation, processes and modelling. I have built all the regulatory modelling and management reporting as well as controlling things like the VAT process and AuM reporting. Anything that involves building in Excel I love. Personally, I find that accountancy is fairly dull in its essential core mechanics and requirements. What I recommend is that you must discover that one area of work that you enjoy and focus on that. Diversification is key to job satisfaction. Unless you want to become a partner at PwC etc, every year I tell the trainee accountants who audit the company to escape from audit as soon as possible. Audit allows you to learn how many different companies operate and experience a myriad of financial systems and processes, but it is a reactive process, checking that historical records are correct. What I find is interesting is managing the finances of a company, presenting the data in the system as cleverly and concisely as possible and forecasting the company’s position into the future. 

Can you tell us more about your autism diagnosis?

A few years ago I was diagnosed as autistic at the national autism centre at the Maudsley hospital in South London. Michael Tomaszewski wrote in the November 2022 Mentor of the month article about his own discovery of neurodiversity at a relatively late age. He wrote extremely eloquently about the benefits and pitfalls of ADHD and I would say that the sentiment he expressed so beautifully translates equally well to autism. I urge you to read his testimony if you want to understand the joy of self-discovery after a lifetime of questions. In a similar vein I can state that autism brings tremendous advantages to the working environment but at the same time it can be very limiting and restricting in both a professional and social capacity. The trick is to apply yourself correctly and find your groove that plays to your strengths. 

Currently, the facts are that 9 out of 10 people of my age (~ 50) who have autistic characteristics that merit a positive diagnosis are undiagnosed, usually through a complete lack of awareness. When I was a child back in the 1970s and 1980s the condition existed as an extremely restricted set of diagnostic parameters as devised by Leo Kanner. It was only when an English pediatrician Lorna Wing translated Asperger from the original German in the late 1970s that autism was properly understood and  the condition did not get widespread exposure until the Oscar winning film Rain Man in 1989. The condition, along with ADHD and associated conditions, commonly referred to as neurodiversity, have increased in prevalence exponentially in the last 20 years. There has been much debate as to why autism is far more common now, with theories including the MMR vaccine (debunked) through to more parents having children at a later age and to other environmental factors. I think it is simply a case of rising awareness and acceptance, though some countries are better at allocating medical resources and accommodating and accepting autistic people within society. The US probably over does the diagnoses due to the structure of their healthcare system as a diagnosis is simply a pathway to state administered medical resources in a system that charges for everything. In fact, autism is normally hereditary in 80% of cases. It is perfectly natural and I do not believe it is a disability. It is simply a difference in the human condition. 

At this point you might be asking - but what is autism? I think for many people it appears to be very confusing as it is described as a spectrum, covering a range of abilities and manifestations from Elon Musk through to people with comorbidities such as severe learning difficulties. I think Tony Attwood, one of the most famous researchers and proponents of autism, summed it up best that autistic people are simply people who are more interested in things than people.

How has being autistic affected your work life?

I attended the National Autistic Societies first ever Autism at Work conference two years ago at which there were speakers from JP Morgan, Ernst and Young, SAP and HMRC amongst others. These companies actively recruit neurodiverse people as they understand the benefits outweigh the drawbacks in hiring such people. It was really exciting to see this development from such prominent employers.  Most companies are acutely aware of being inclusive and diverse to enhance their image and sell their brand, yet many are only now waking up to neurodivesity as a fertile source of employment. Advocacy is still at an embryonic stage and it is the last area of diversity that is now being woven into the fabric of corporate life. Unfortunately I had to disclose to my company during lockdown, but this has now meant I can try to openly increase awareness and decrease any stigma associated with the condition. 

I will be perfectly blunt, some jobs have gone well, others haven’t. In hindsight I now know why. Autism is not an excuse, but it can be an explanation. It is simply a difference in thinking, and as long as people appreciate and understand this then there is no issue.  Unfortunately many people who get into positions of management and authority do not understand this. Much of corporate culture is built on endless meetings and incessant talking which do not play to an autistic persons strengths, and this can mean that the autistic person who is perfectly capable is often overlooked.

What can you offer current students?

I am here if there are any autistic students at Jesus who might want some basic advice of how to navigate the world of work. Equally I am here if anyone thinks they may be autistic and wants some advice of how to take this further and approach medical professionals for a diagnosis. A diagnosis only helps in as much as it brings self-awareness and understanding to the events of one’s life, explaining why things have happened the way they have and why one has reacted the way one did. Autistic people are most vulnerable when they change environments and especially when they start work as young adults and I would like to offer guidance and encouragement. Statistically speaking there must be autistic students at the college and if I can help in any way after nearly 30 years in the employment arena please contact me.  

Matthew can be contacted on Jesus Connect the College's mentoring and networking platform. 

The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to Matthew Hazell (1989).