Rear Admiral Matthew Quashie was born on 23 March 1951 in Accra. He attended Mfantsipim Secondary School, Cape Coast, for his General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level Certificate from 1965 to 1970. He entered the Ghana Military Academy in 1970 and subsequently enrolled in to the Ghana Secondary Technical School (GSTS), Takoradi, from 1970 to 1972 for the GCE Advanced Level Certificate. He continued his basic military officer training at the Britannia Royal Naval College, United Kingdom, and commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in to the Executive Branch of the Ghana Navy in July 1974.
Rear Admiral Quashie has attended many courses, which include the International Sub–Lieutenant Course at Dartmouth, United Kingdom (January to December 1976), Military Law Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Legal Service, Accra (March 1979) and the International Long Communication Course, Pettersfield, United Kingdom (1980).
Others are Junior Staff Course (1983) and Senior Staff Course (September 1985 to August 1986), both at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Accra, Amphibious Planning Senior Course in Coronado, San Diego, USA (1997) and National War College, Abuja, Nigeria (September 2001 to July 2002).
Rear Admiral Quashie, during the course of his career, has also held a variety of command and staff appointments. He was Watch-Keeping Officer on the Ghana Navy Ships (GNS) Keta, Kromantse, Sahene and Achimota, Executive Officer on GNS Elmina and Dzata and Acting Executive Officer on GNS Kromantse. From 1977-1978 he was Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of the Naval Staff.
Other appointments he has held are Base Operations Officer, Naval Base Sekondi (August-November 1986), Staff Officer Communication and Intelligence, Naval Headquarters (June 1987-April 1988) and Acting Training Officer, Naval Base Sekondi (April 1988-January 189). He was also Senior Officer Afloat/ Commanding Officer Naval Base Sekondi.
The rest are Director Operations and Plans, Naval Headquarters; Directing Staff at both the Ghana Armed Forces Command College and Nigeria Command and Staff College; Deputy Commandant Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College(2001), Director Resettlement at General Headquarters (2003) and Chief Staff Officer, Naval Headquarters.
Rear Admiral Quashie has also served with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) form November 1986 to June 1987 as Assistant Staff Officer. Until his current appointment as Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Matthew Quashie was Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command.
He is married and has children. He enjoys playing Golf and reading.