Paul Hawkinson C’92 left the world of investment banking “to seek a better balance between my skill set and my faith, as I desired to find deeper meaning in work and vocation.”
Hawkinson has brought his knowledge of the financial world to SBNM, where he teaches undergraduate finance and accounting, as well as graduate courses in corporate strategy. Hawkinson and his wife, Kristin (Anderson) C’91, have four kids, ranging in age from a college senior to a fourth grader, and live in Libertyville, Ill.
NORTH PARKER: Tell us a little about your career before you came to North Park, and what led you to return here as a professor?
PAUL HAWKINSON: After a 17-year postgraduate career in investment banking, I left that “world” in 2012. Since then I have had the privilege of serving in a wide variety of settings. These have included service as the CFO of the Evangelical Covenant Church; adjunct teaching at NPU; the formation of a hedge fund focused on social impact in the housing sector; start-up investing; board service; and personal entrepreneurial ventures. After leaving full-time service at the Covenant, I was drawn to the opportunity to join the exceptional SBNM faculty on a full-time basis as a “professional track” faculty member—bringing my experience into the classroom. I retain a portfolio of projects outside NPU and hope to invite students into the process of working alongside me in various ventures. My heart is particularly drawn to creative economic development in under-resourced areas within the city of Chicago. What a gift it is to serve at NPU.
NP: Obviously, North Park is a lot different than when you attended. What are the most positive changes you’ve noticed, and tell us why you’re excited for the school’s future.
PH: Honestly, I am blown away by the beauty of this campus and its physical transformation since my time here. Many things, however, remain: the deeply committed and expert faculty, a commitment to depth in relational formation with students, the integration of faith and reason, and, importantly, a kind but clear disdain for ALL other CCIW opponents! Go Vikings! I am deeply drawn to the NPU distinctives and believe we offer a unique opportunity to serve students well long into the future. The environment for higher education among smaller schools is extremely challenging—but we retain access to a set of core assets that many institutions can only dream of.