Matt Friedman is an international human trafficking expert with more than 35 years of experience. He is CEO of The Mekong Club, an organization of Hong Kong’s leading businesses that have joined forces to help end all forms of modern slavery. Mr. Friedman previ
ously worked for USAID and the United Nations in over 40 countries. Mr. Friedman offers technical advice to numerous governments, banks, and corporations working to eliminate all forms of modern slavery and is the author of sixteen books. In 2017, Mr. Friedman received Asia’s prestigious “Communicator of the Year” Gold Award, and in 2025, he was honored with the Friends of ASEAN Business Award.
ously worked for USAID and the United Nations in over 40 countries. Mr. Friedman offers technical advice to numerous governments, banks, and corporations working to eliminate all forms of modern slavery and is the author of sixteen books. In 2017, Mr. Friedman received Asia’s prestigious “Communicator of the Year” Gold Award, and in 2025, he was honored with the Friends of ASEAN Business Award.Thirty years ago, Matt Friedman, CEO and founder of The Mekong Club, worked as a senior USAID public health official across Asia, focused on education and prevention of HIV/AIDS in small rural communities.
As part of Matt’s work, he visited many shelters where he repeatedly heard the same themes of horror. Matt soon realized that exploitation was happening in the sex industry but also permeates global supply chains, from factories to farms to fishing boats.
Matt began to work in the United Nations in the anti-trafficking world, where he worked closely with the public and private sectors across Asia. During his tenure, he noticed a gap in engagement with the private sector in their anti-trafficking efforts. Not because they didn’t want to, but because they feared being named or shamed for approaching a UN official to ask for help.
As a result, Matt left the United Nations and started The Mekong Club in Asia’s financial center, Hong Kong, to provide a safe space for companies around the world to collaborate on identifying and addressing labor exploitation in the private sector.
Learn more about his incredible work at The Mekong Club
Matt's presentation will be on Zoom at 1:30 p.m. Bangkok time. For your invitation please contact president@rotaryclubchiangmaiwattana.org