Lawrence is a twenty-year veteran of building multinational businesses in the greater China Region, and has a passion for start-ups and leading global corporate visions from strategic planning through successful in-country execution. Lawrence is an active member of the firm's Industrial and Consumer practices.

Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Lawrence served as managing director Libbey Asia Pacific where he was a leading player in Libbey, Inc.'s China manufacturing and sales start-up operation. He spent the previous eight years in the chocolate business in China, managing Nestle China's confectionery business and leading Hershey's transition from a regional test-marketing exercise to a national brand with in-country operations. While Asia Pacific operations director for Conair, he was a member of a three-person start-up team that led the Asia Pacific launch of the "Tools of Vidal Sassoon" hair care appliances and is credited with establishing their supply chain throughout the region. He began his career in the greater China Region with a four-year stint managing OTC pharmaceutical and personal care brands for Warner-Lambert, Taiwan.

Lawrence is also author of Chocolate Fortunes: The Battle for the Hearts, Minds, and Wallets of China's Consumers (AMACOM, 2010), a China business book which chronicles the past quarter-century battle between the world's leading chocolate companies for China's virgin chocolate market.

Lawrence is a graduate of Thunderbird School of Global Management where he began his China studies and earned his MBA in international business management. He received his undergraduate degree in business administration from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and executive training at the University of Michigan: Ross School of Business.