Zimbabwean born, Lawrence was raised in South Africa where he completed his schooling and tertiary education. Lawrence holds a Master’s Degree in Protected Area Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and joined the then Natal Parks Board in 1997 as the Anti-Poaching Unit Officer of iMfolozi Game Reserve. He spent 16 years in formal conservation in the province serving as a Section Ranger, Law Enforcement Trainer and as the head of the Provincial Rhino Operations Unit, coordinating the conservation air wing (ZAP-Wing) and deploying operationally in numerous SAPS & Ezemvelo Joint Operations. He has testified in rhino poaching court cases both in the province of KZN as well as in Gauteng, South Africa and in Lilongwe and Liwonde in Malawi. He joined African Parks in 2015 and serves as the Field Operations Manager at Liwonde National Park in Malawi.