Matjaž Jerkič, M.A., was born in 1969. After graduating from Police Cadet School in 1987, he began his career at the Nova Gorica Police Directorate, serving as a police officer at the Nova Gorica Police Station, and later at the Nova Gorica Traffic Police Station. In 1996, he transitioned to the Criminal Police Division of the Nova Gorica Police Directorate where he took on the role of criminal police inspector.

At the end of 2000, he advanced to the Criminal Police Directorate of the General Police Directorate. From 2018 until recently, he worked as Assistant Director of the Criminal Police Directorate. His career in the criminal police spans an impressive 28 years.

He has continued his studies alongside his work, and earned a master's degree from the Faculty of Public Administration of the University of Ljubljana in 2007. Over the years, he has received several police honours, including the Bronze Shield in 2008, the Silver Shield in 2014 and the Gold Shield in 2019.

He also played an active role in the Slovenian War of Independence as a member of the Riot Police Unit of the Nova Gorica Police Directorate and has the status of a war veteran.