Paul R. Lawrence

Paul R. Lawrence is a Principal in the Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young LLP, and a leader in its Federal Government Consulting Practice. He helps government leaders address their challenges by developing and then implementing unique solutions.

Working to Transform Your Organization

A part of the larger report, "Becoming an Effective Political Executive: 7 Lessons from Experienced Appointees," this essay, "Working to Transform Your Organization," describes how political appointees can successfully transform organizations. Four organizations were chosen as case studies and eight common lessons emerged about how leaders successfully undertake large-scale transformation initiatives.

Learning the Ropes: Insights for Political Appointees

Learning the Ropes: Insights for Political Appointees is geared to providing helpful advice to new political appointees on a variety of topics related to the challenge of managing in government. Chapter two by Judith Michaels presents key lessons learned from two surveys of previous political appointees, as well as personal interviews with nearly 50 former political executives from both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Transforming Organizations

This book provides in-depth case studies of outstanding government executives who dramatically changed both the performance and management of their organizations. The book includes case studies of Dan Goldin of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ken Kizer of the Veterans Health Administration, James Lee Witt of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and four high-ranking government officials who changed procurement in the Department of Defense. In addition, the book includes interviews with NASA Administrator Goldin and FEMA's Director Witt.

Principal
Ernst & Young LLP
United States

Paul R. Lawrence is a Principal in the Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young LLP, and a leader in its Federal Government Consulting Practice. He helps government leaders address their challenges by developing and then implementing unique solutions.

Mr. Lawrence has 25 years of experience working closely with government leaders. Prior to joining Ernst & Young LLP, Mr. Lawrence was a Vice President with Accenture, an Executive Director with the MITRE Corporation, a Vice President with IBM Business Consulting Services, and a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

He has written extensively on management, and government. He is the co-author of Paths to Making a Difference: Leading in Government. He is the co-editor of Transforming Organizations and Learning the Ropes: Insights for Political Appointees. He has testified before Congress and several state legislatures. He serves on the Board of Advisors to the Economic Program at the University of Massachusetts and has served on the Board of Advisors of the Thomas Jefferson Public Policy Program at The College of William and Mary. He was twice selected by Federal Computer Week as one of the top 100 public service business leaders.

Mr. Lawrence earned his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Economics from Virginia Tech. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. Paul Lawrence served in the U.S. Army attaining the rank of Captain. He graduated from the Army's Airborne School and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.