Lawrence Pope grew up in London but lived in many countries during his youth. After graduating high school in the United Kingdom, Lawrence became a naturalized U.S. citizen following his family’s relocation to Kingwood, a Houston-area bedroom community.

Soon Lawrence was drawn to bustling Austin and The University of Texas. Fascinated by the global economy, Lawrence studied economics at UT, then earned an MBA from Rice University. Attracted to the idea of leading and influencing people while enhancing a company’s bottom line, Lawrence pursued a career that led to his current role of executive vice president of administration and chief human resources officer at Halliburton, the second-largest oil and gas service provider in the world. His career also led him to Cher, his wife of 13 years. Knowing how important education has been in their lives and the lives of their children, Lawrence and Cher want to share the gift of education with deserving students.

With strong ties to UT and the city of Austin, the Popes earmarked their endowment for deserving scholars at UT’s McCombs School of Business. Lawrence is a McCombs School Advisory Council member and was recently honored as the McCombs School’s Corporate Partner of the Year. He is also a member of the Greater Houston Partnership and Houston Dynamo Charities. Lawrence and Cher both embrace the value of education and life-long learning. Cher discovered a learning need in Kingwood at the Village Learning and Achievement Center, a nonprofit organization promoting the independence of people with developmental disabilities.

Recently, the center recognized the couple’s support by honoring them at its annual gala. Cher inspires the students at the center, where she serves as a committee member, volunteer photographer, and scrapbook hostess. The Popes enjoy boating and spending time with their family at their second home on Lake Travis. And they continue to give back to their community with a passion they hope to pass down to their children.