[7] His career journey began in July 1959 when he started as a credit inspector at the Zhdaniv branch of the Budbank of the USSR in the Donetsk Oblast.

[5][6][4] Transitioning to higher positions, he took on the role of chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Republic Bank of Prombudbank of the USSR from 1987 to 1991.

In 1991, Matvienko's career trajectory shifted significantly when he was appointed chairman of the board of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

Notably, he implemented innovative measures such as reusable coupons to counteract inflation in the early 1990s, effectively averting a severe cash crisis in Ukraine.

[8] In September 1991, the Government Courier newspaper published an article in which Matvienko discussed the state of affairs at the moment, pointing out that the intricacy of the money issue extends beyond simple manufacturing.

The hryvnia currency design was created by Ukrainian painters Vasyl Lopata and Boris Maksimov, and Matvienko authorized prototypes of the first bills.

[11] As the chairman of the board of Prominvestbank, he was a prominent member of the public, the bank provided charity support to war veterans, disabled individuals, and underprivileged children from 1992 to 2008.

[12] Fokus magazine ranked Matvienko as the 21st richest Ukrainian in February 2008; the publication estimated his net worth at $1.015 billion in 2023, pointing out that it was $995 million a year before.