Matt Cutts works for the quality group of Google. He specializes in search engine optimization issues. He is well known in the SEO community for enforcing the Google Webmaster Guidelines and cracking down on link spam.
He started his career in search when working on his Ph.D at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His field of study was computer graphics and movement tracking, then moved into the field of information retrieval after taking outside classes from the university’s Information and Library Science department. He did not complete the Ph.D before moving to Google, but acquired a M.S. degree.
Cutts was reported to have admitted being “GoogleGuy,” a Google insider who appeared on other forums and posted comments about the inner workings of Google. In August 2006, Cutts admitted to using the identity GoogleGuy in posts to web related boards.
Matt Cutts is also a well known blogger who writes on Search Engine Optimization within the context of the Google Search Engine.
A great starting point for beginner’s to Search Engine Optimization is Aaron Wall’s SEO Book and Blog.