Kirk Lawrence is mission driven
Under his leadership, UNC Kenan-Flagler offers more executive development programs designed for government and military personnel.
A former U.S. Military Academy classmate once told Kirk Lawrence that a UNC Executive Development program designed for military officers completely changed the way he made decisions.
“It was quite an endorsement,” Lawrence says.
Under Lawrence’s leadership and now as UNC Executive Development Government and Defense Sector senior director, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School has expanded the number of custom-designed government programs from three in 2013 to 32 in 2025.
To support this growth, the team expanded to include two additional program directors, Patrick Martin, a retired U.S. Navy captain, and Amy Parker, former chief learning officer at the Veteran Affairs and retired member of Senior Executive Service.
Clients representing all branches of the military have taken UNC Executive Development programs focused on such topics as organizational leadership, addressing emerging challenges and strategic thinking. These programs are carefully crafted for different levels of responsibility, from general officers and senior civilians to mid- and senior-level staff.
The Government and Defense Sector focuses on four areas:
- Leader development
- Business acumen (Understanding Defense Industry)
- Data analytics
- Supply chain complexity and disruption
Clients invest in UNC Executive Development programs to address organizational challenges and lay the groundwork for successful futures. They leave with new, inspired mindsets. The programs also make a deep impact on government and defense budgets.
An official told UNC Executive Development leaders that the Navy has saved more than $7.4 billion across multiple projects over 12 years through strategies learned in Understanding Defense Industry, one of UNC Executive Development’s longest-running programs. This program is now delivered across all military services and select government agencies that deal in major contracts with defense industry companies.
“We’re helping our clients learn new ways of looking at problems, situations and environments that are an essential part of becoming a more effective leader,” says Lawrence, who joined UNC Executive Development following a 30-year Army career and a few years in corporate roles. “It’s about increasing their capacity to step outside of their comfort zone and widen their scope.
“We want them to walk away from any session with a toolkit and framework that can immediately be put into play.”
Collaborative spirit
UNC Kenan-Flagler faculty who teach in the programs are flexible as well, adapting content for groups very different than the undergraduate and graduate students they teach.
When the chief of staff of the Army asked the team to include a large block of ethics instruction in its general officer program, Lawrence reached out to a faculty member whose research focuses on the determinants and consequences of power within companies.
“We talked about topics like what happens to someone psychologically as they rise up an organization’s ranks and how attaining more power and authority can change people in ways they may not recognize,” says Lawrence. “I thought it was potentially powerful and different.”
The program designed for the Army was so successful that they began offering it to all military branches.
“It takes a special ability to engage with leaders who are tackling real-world problems in their organizations,” says Lawrence. “UNC Executive Development faculty from UNC Kenan-Flagler are very carefully selected and are the critical piece to our success.”
Lawrence’s work is also personal. His older son is an Army intelligence officer serving in Europe.
“One day he might be standing on a hilltop somewhere, and you can well bet that I’m hoping that whoever’s making the decisions has had the benefit of learning from our programs,” says Lawrence.
