Efficient Practice Founder and President, Dr. David Lawrence has over thirty-six years of experience in leadership. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, having spent over 4 years on active duty as a non-commissioned officer and, later as a commissioned officer in the Naval Reserves. His service in two war zones, first in South Vietnam near the end of the Vietnam War and later, in the Middle East, provide a courageous backdrop to his leadership experiences. His compelling story of military leadership during a time of domestic political unrest is truly inspirational.
Dr. Lawrence is a graduate of The University of South Florida in Tampa, with a double undergraduate and Master’s degrees (cum laude). He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville for his Doctorate in Behavioral Psychology.
David then spent 18 years with a major financial planning firm as a Senior Financial Advisor, Training Manager and District Manager. He has also worked for two large independent financial planning and asset management companies in senior management positions. His responsibilities have included managing large numbers of employees as well as setting up employee hiring, training, evaluation and compensation systems. His background and experience in integrating technological systems with management needs has given him a unique perspective on the use of technology as a leadership tool.
David has spent the past several years writing and speaking. He founded the Efficient Practice, a consulting company devoted to growth efficiency solutions for the financial services profession and professional businesses. His speaking engagements have taken him all across the United States, Canada and the Far East. Conversant in five languages, he is acutely aware of and sensitive to the need for efficient communications in leadership and in life.
David is a member of the International speaker’s Network (ISN). A partial list of David’s speaking engagements includes:
- The Financial Advisor Retirement Symposium (Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando)
- The Financial Planning Association (national conference, leadership conference, retreat)
- The National Association of Variable Annuities
- Society of Financial Services Professionals (SFSP)
- Laserfiche Institute Conference
- National Advisors Trust Shareholder Conference and Technology Conference (NATC)
- TD Ameritrade Institutional National Conference
- Schwab Impact Conference
- Forbes Magazine Advisor eConference
- Million Dollar Roundtable
- Cetera Group Conferences (Cetera Advisors, Cetera Financial, etc.)
- Technology Tools for Today Conference
He has been frequently quoted by such national publications as Barron’s, Financial Planning Interactive, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal Online among others. He has written articles for Practice Lifecycle, the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) Monitor, The Virtual Office Newsletter and Turning Point Inc. Newsletter. He has also made frequent appearances on NBC and FOX television affiliates. He is a sought after public speaker on a variety of leadership, financial and technical topics. He is a Past President of the Financial Planning Association of Tampa Bay and is active in that organization on a national level as past-chair of the FPA’s National Leadership Council. Further, David Lawrence was the Chair of the FPA’s 2006 National Leadership Conference. David was previously a monthly columnist and contributing editor for Financial Advisor Magazine. He is now a freelance journalist, author and thought leader. His latest book, The Efficient Practice, published by Wiley and Sons should still be available on Amazon.com.