Senior Adviser Matthew Lehrfeld reflects on his role at Flint and the US election

In this conversation with Matthew Lehrfeld, we touch upon his past experience, his role at Flint and what businesses should expect ahead of the US election results.

Tell us about your previous experience.

I joined Flint Global as a Senior Adviser in 2020 to provide an American perspective on global challenges and US politics and economic policy. I spent most of my professional life as a diplomat for the US government in Europe and the Middle East. 

One of the things I loved as a diplomat was engaging with international audiences to explain US policy and culture. I always try to broaden people’s understanding of the US beyond what we see in the news or know from the popular culture of movies, TV, and music to give them insight into why the US makes the choices it does. 

How do you support clients as a Senior Adviser at Flint?

As a special adviser, I work alongside Flint’s team of experts to deliver analysis and advice to our clients on how US domestic and international developments will impact their businesses. This ranges from explaining US foreign policy in crisis areas such as the rising tensions with China, the war in Ukraine, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as US regulatory and economic decisions with far-reaching consequences.

I also advise clients on the 2024 US presidential election and the candidates’ trade and economic policies. There is tremendous interest in this election, which has the potential to be a defining moment in US history. The candidates offer starkly different visions for the US economy and foreign policy, and businesses will need to adjust accordingly.   

What are three things businesses should be prepared for ahead of this new presidential term?

First, regardless of who wins, businesses should be prepared for “US first” policies that incentivizes growing America’s industrial and manufacturing base. We have already seen the first steps in this direction through legislation supporting the semiconductor and green technology sectors. Second, if Trump wins, there will be a lot more tariffs and a much more transactional approach towards countries based on their balance of payments with the US. Finally, the global economy will be shaped by the strategic competition between the US and China and the two candidates have different approaches for how to manage this.     

How do you think the US political landscape will change?

In many ways, this election is a referendum on the direction of the country, so I think we need to wait and see who wins and by what margin before we can say what it means. At the same time, Trump’s success and popularity in this and previous elections underscores how deeply unhappy some of the American public is with the status quo and with the free-trade international liberal order, which has not delivered the promised economic benefits to broad swaths of society. I think whichever candidate is elected, the next administration will enact policies to address these challenges.