Nadou S. Lawson '08

2015 Recipient for the Graduate of the Last Decade Award

Through her Carroll experience, Nadou Lawson began to explore the talents she could best utilize to improve the world around her. Lawson studied finance and management at Carroll and graduated magna cum laude in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. During her student tenure, she also made it a priority to engage the broader Carroll community. She was a Black Student Union club leader, student alumni ambassador, orientation leader, resident assistant and a sprinter on the track and field team. In her remaining free time, she also volunteered with a couple of organizations in the Waukesha/Milwaukee area. It is for this commitment and determination that she earned various awards, including the Senior Award.

Upon graduating from Carroll, Lawson joined Kimberly-Clark and was responsible for manufacturing cost analysis within the Consumer Tissue sector at its headquarters and a manufacturing facility. After that, she became an analyst in the Treasurer's Office at the global headquarters, working on affiliate capital structure, stock administration, foreign currency and pension management. In her final role at Kimberly-Clark, she was charged with leading all aspects of the same Analyst Development Program she had gone through at the start of her career. Though happy and still growing at Kimberly-Clark after five years, Lawson accepted an offer to join Google Finance organization. In this position, she partnered with over 75 managers across the globe to cost effectively deliver and scale employee programs, such as the renowned Google Global Food program.

Lawson truly believes in lifelong learning and a goal for many years was to pursue a graduate degree. In early 2013, she was thrilled to learn that she had been accepted into the Stanford Graduate School of Business, MBA Class of 2016. Though she had only been at Google for one year, this was an opportunity she felt prepared for and could not turn down. Now well into her first year at Stanford, Lawson is focused on gaining the knowledge and honing the skills to transition into managerial roles. Her career aspiration is to eventually lead the African division of a consumer-focused company. She seeks to be among those working to accelerate the economic progress of the continent so that future generations can have the opportunities she has been afforded in the United States.

Professionally, Lawson is known for her ability to manage and improve complex processes, deliver insightful analysis and support others in their development. She has remained active with Carroll by serving as a young alumni champion for the Power of 10 giving program and by engaging with students. Despite relocating frequently, she always finds a way to give back to her community through volunteerism.

Lawson feels blessed to have had the chance to achieve all that she has. Carroll University was a critical launch pad, not just for her intellectual growth, but also her personal growth.