Education
- M.B.A., Thunderbird School of Global Management, 2001
- B.A., Santa Clara University, 1992
Research and Teaching Interests
- Emerging market economies in Latin America, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
- Business planning for new products and services, as well as market entry and market expansion strategies
- Innovative approaches to teaching international business — Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), global consulting projects, guest speaker series, case study competitions, exchange programs and international internships
- Triple bottom line economics and its practical applications
- Climate change, agroforestry, bioconstruction and alternative energy and its impact on people, the planet and company profits
- International grants that help develop students’ personal, cultural and professional skills
Biography
Matthew Jordan moved back to Brazil after living and working in San Antonio, Texas, from 2018 to 2024. Prior to these six years in the US, Professor Jordan moved to Brazil in 2010. He has also spent significant time overseas living, working and studying in both Europe and Africa.
Jordan, an instructor of international business, agribusiness and international relations, focuses on real-world applications of international business and relations theory. He was also the Executive in Residence for the Greehey School of Business’ International Business program and the Director of the Center for Global Business Studies.
In this role, Jordan helped students identify exchange programs and internship opportunities that gave them practical experience and improved their chances for post-graduation employability. Part of this work included the development of a required, semester-long class that International Business students took prior to their overseas assignments, preparing them for the business and cultural challenges they would encounter in their designated countries, industries, companies and organizations. Jordan was also an Executive Business English teacher and spent time organizing business trips, global consulting projects and internships to Central and South America as well as to Europe and Africa for MBA and EMBA students.
Jordan was also the Director of the Center for Global Business Studies. The Center focused on three main objectives: sending more students and faculty overseas on study abroad programs and internships, raising money and providing logistical support to make these trips possible and sponsoring events that promote learning and networking related to international business. As an international grant manager, Professor Jordan has continued this work as a part-time faculty member in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Currently, he is administering a 4-year US Department of Agriculture grant between St. Mary’s, Texas A&M, and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Prior to his time in South America, Jordan worked in banking and commercial real estate for both large and small corporations. He also received an international MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix.
Jordan was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His wife is Brazilian, and they have a son named Gustavo. In his free time, Jordan spends time with his family on the ocean and traveling to the many countries where he sends his students. He is an avid swimmer and modern dance hobbyist and advocate. He speaks Portuguese, French and Spanish.
Jordan enjoys bringing his personal and practical knowledge to the classroom. His work allows him to serve as a bridge between the United States and the continually closer world that exists outside our borders. One of Jordan’s primary goals is to inspire his students to embrace this reality with a combination of solid international business theory and his own overseas first-hand knowledge and experience.