Matthew Philip Syed is an English journalist, author, broadcaster, and former table tennis player. Born on 2 November 1970, he has had an illustrious career both in sports and journalism.

Syed was the English number one in table tennis for many years and is a three-time men's singles champion at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships (in 1997, 2000, and 2001). He also represented Great Britain in the Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992 and Sydney 2000.

Transitioning to journalism during his sports career, Matthew Syed has been a significant contributor to The Times newspaper since 1999. He has authored several best-selling books, including Rebel Ideas, Bounce, Black Box Thinking, and his celebrated children’s books, You Are Awesome and The You Are Awesome Journal.

His work delves into a thought-provoking approach to high performance, exploring how to thrive in a complex, fast-changing world. As a multi-award-winning journalist, he frequently contributes to television and radio.