Every Monday we profile one of our Members. This week in we are joined by Proprietor Stuart Lawrence.
Who are you? I am Stuart Lawrence. A mechanical engineer by first degree and now a business leader following a second degree in 2002.
What is your greatest achievement? Oddly perhaps, my greatest achievement has nothing to do with my career or indeed directly with my family. In 2007 I obtained my black belt in karate. This started as a something to entertain my children some four years earlier and I eventually started training with them in order to encourage them – as parents often do. Over the years, both children (now adults) dropped out of the classes, but I enjoyed it so much that I continued without them. I consider this something of an achievement because I was 41 years old at the time I earned my black belt and like today, I was carrying far too much weight!
Can you give one interesting fact about yourself? Quite often, if you look back over your life, you may be able to pinpoint one moment, one event that has shaped and defined how you behaved subsequently. For me this was 1990 when I (successfully I might add) applied for a permanent commission in the RAF. Prior to the selection process at Biggin Hill, the RAF officer at my local recruitment office gave me one very important piece of advice – “Do not attempt to be what you think the selectors want you to be. Be yourself and let them decide whether you are right for them”. This I did and this is mantra I have carried with me and applied throughout my life.
What brought you to The Athenaeum? To be honest I was looking for several things. A location in Liverpool where I could meet with clients was one thing and another was to be able to make use of the reciprocal agreement we have with other clubs, notably in London. The main thing however was a genuine desire to meet people from outside my usual sphere of life/work and to expand my knowledge and experience. You never stop learning.
Is there anything you would like to change about the Athenaeum? Far too early to say. I only joined the Athenaeum in February this year and have only had the opportunity to visit on one occasion since then at the Member’s Reception in February 2020. Following that, all our lives were turned upside down…
Do you have any Athenaeum memories or stories that you’d wish to share? As per the previous question, still too early as I only have one memory of the club to draw upon!
What would you say to anyone considering joining the Club? Don’t be shy. Everyone I have met at the club during the short time that I have been a member has been very welcoming, warm and friendly, so why not come and see us and find out if we are right for you.