Until he and his sister went to college, no one in Lawless’s extended family had continued in school past the age of 16. He got his bachelor’s degree in education studies and is now nearing completion of a master’s in higher education studies, but he says his roots have shaped the work he does today.

“Being multiracial and from a working-class background, diversity and inclusion are naturally important topics for me, both inside and outside of my profession,” he says. “Therefore, the projects that help to raise the aspirations and attainment of disadvantaged young people are particularly important to me.”

After his traineeship at the University of Bristol, Lawless was hired there as a development manager, where he focused on securing five-figure gifts for a wide variety of university priorities. Now at Oxford, he’s responsible for securing major gifts for programs related to supporting students and widening access to the university for a diversity of students. One program Lawless is particularly proud of helps students of African and Caribbean descent reach leading universities.

“Everything I do focuses on either making Oxford more diverse or ensuring that the world’s brightest minds have the opportunity to study in an environment that will allow them to thrive,” he says.

Next up? Lawless has just been tapped to spend a year in Oxford’s Hong Kong office to work with some of Hong Kong’s and southern China’s most prominent philanthropists.