Curiosity, Change, and Leadership: Geoff Clawson ’98 Reflects on the Enduring Value of a Liberal Arts Education

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Curiosity, Change, and Leadership: Geoff Clawson '98 Reflects on the Enduring Value of a Liberal Arts Education

Geoff Clawson '98When Geoff Clawson '98 graduated from Southwestern University, Facebook did not exist, smartphones had not been invented, and artificial intelligence was the subject of academic research rather than everyday conversation. Several of the industries that would eventually define his career had yet to emerge.

Today, as Vice President of Global Growth at GoDaddy, Clawson leads multidisciplinary teams helping millions of entrepreneurs start, grow, and strengthen their businesses. Looking back across nearly three decades of technological disruption, economic upheaval, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership, he credits Southwestern with something more enduring than preparation for a specific profession. The liberal arts education that he received helped develop the habits of mind that allowed him to adapt, lead, and continue learning through a career defined by continual change.

"Southwestern taught me how to think before it taught me what to think," Clawson said. "It taught me to ask better questions, understand context, connect ideas across disciplines, and keep learning. Those skills have become more valuable with every stage of my career."

Southwestern taught me how to think before it taught me what to think.

Growing up in Alvin, Texas, Clawson was naturally curious about history, international affairs, technology, and the wider world. That curiosity led him to Southwestern, where he majored in international studies with an emphasis in East Asian studies and modern Chinese history. One course, however, changed the trajectory of how he thought.

During his junior year, Clawson enrolled in Professor Emeritus Jan Dawson's historiography course, which explored not simply historical events, but how history itself is researched, interpreted, and written.

"That course changed the way I understood the world," Clawson said. "Until then, I had thought of history largely as a collection of facts. Dr. Dawson taught me that understanding anything begins with asking better questions -who is telling the story, what context shaped it, and what assumptions may be embedded within it."

The lesson became a framework Clawson would carry into every stage of his career.

Years later, while reading work by management thinker Peter Drucker, he encountered a familiar idea. Drucker famously argued that the greatest danger comes from asking the wrong questions rather than getting the wrong answers.

"I realized they were teaching the same lesson," Clawson said. "Whether you're studying history or leading a business, the quality of your thinking depends on the quality of the questions you ask. That idea has shaped how I approach business, leadership, and life ever since. I learned early that the people around you shape the way you think, the standards you set, and what you believe is possible. At Southwestern, that started with extraordinary professors and friends who remain some of the most important people in my life."

10-year Reunion on campus (pictured back row: Dr. Dan Reynolds '98, Michael Jeffers '98, Joshua Williams '98, Gordon Winner '98; front row: Geoff, Nia Tavoularis '98, Dr. Janet Lopez Vilsack '98)

Building a Career Through Change

After graduating in 1998, Clawson moved to San Francisco to pursue opportunities in the rapidly growing technology industry. The timing placed him at the center of the first internet boom - and its collapse.

He survived seven rounds of layoffs at an advertising and consulting firm before accepting an opportunity with Washington Mutual, one of the firm's clients. There, he met software engineer Aman Bhutani.

"We connected almost immediately," Clawson said. "More importantly, we were surrounded by people who were intellectually curious, highly motivated, and genuinely wanted to build something meaningful. Being around people like that changes your own expectations of what's possible."

Clawson and Bhutani eventually helped lead WaMu.com's digital initiatives. When Washington Mutual became the largest bank failure in American history during the 2008 financial crisis, Clawson joined JPMorgan Chase, helping lead the migration of millions of customers to Chase's online banking platform before later becoming Executive Director of Social Media.

The experience reinforced something he would observe repeatedly throughout his career: industries evolve, technologies advance, and business models change. However, curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to adapt endure.

"You cannot always predict how the world around you will change," he said. "What you can do is develop the habits that allow you to respond well - stay curious, understand context, learn quickly, and be willing to challenge your own assumptions."

Clawson's experience eventually led him to Facebook, where he first worked as a marketing strategist before rebuilding the company's relationship with Toyota. Following Facebook's acquisition of Instagram, he helped lead partnerships and commercial growth across the United States and Japan in industries ranging from automotive and entertainment to gaming, publishing, and e-commerce. Looking back, Clawson sees a remarkably consistent thread.

"The industries have changed, but the underlying challenge has remained remarkably consistent: understand what people are trying to accomplish and use technology to help them succeed," he said.

Throughout that journey, he also found himself drawn to organizations that balanced enduring principles with continual innovation.

"I've consistently been attracted to mission-driven organizations, places where the work is in service of something larger than the company itself," he said. "The strongest organizations preserve what makes them unique while continually evolving how they create value."

Entrepreneurship and Perspective

Geoff and his family.In 2016, Clawson made one of the most significant changes of his career when he became CEO of Birdwell Beach Britches, the iconic California surf brand.

"Birdwell was a dream opportunity because it combined entrepreneurship, brand building, and a community I genuinely loved," he said.

Leading a smaller company also reshaped his understanding of leadership.

"When you're leading a business of that size, every decision feels personal," Clawson said. "Every customer, every hire, and every dollar matters. It taught me ownership, resilience, and perspective."

It also reinforced that leadership extends beyond business performance.

"As your life changes, your definition of success evolves too. Leadership includes making thoughtful decisions about where you invest your energy and what matters most during different seasons of life," he said.

Helping Entrepreneurs Grow

In 2019, Bhutani, Clawson's colleague from his Washington Mutual days, called again, this time to discuss his decision to become CEO of GoDaddy.

"I knew Aman had many options, so I was curious why he'd chosen GoDaddy," Clawson said. "The more we talked about their mission of helping everyday entrepreneurs succeed, the more compelling it became."

Geoff at the New York Stock Exchange for GoDaddy's 10-year anniversary of being listed on the NYSE.Clawson joined GoDaddy in 2020 and today serves as Vice President of Global Growth.

His teams work across product, engineering, design, analytics, finance, marketing, and customer research to help millions of entrepreneurs discover, adopt, and gain greater value from GoDaddy's products and services.

"Our growth is connected to our customers' growth," he said. "We help entrepreneurs understand what's possible, choose the right tools for their needs, and build stronger businesses. When we do that well, everyone succeeds."

His work sits at the intersection of disciplines often treated separately: technology and human behavior, product and marketing, analytics and judgment.

"The challenge is understanding a customer's context. What are they trying to accomplish? Where are they in their journey? What would genuinely help them move forward?" Clawson said. "The best growth comes from solving the customer's next important problem."

Why Liberal Arts Matter More Than Ever

Clawson believes the same habits that Southwestern helped cultivate have become increasingly valuable as technology accelerates.

"Leading today requires moving constantly between technology, finance, customer psychology, communication, strategy, and people," he said. "A liberal arts education develops the ability to connect those disciplines and exercise good judgment when there isn't a simple answer."

Artificial intelligence has only reinforced that conviction.

"As technology accelerates, judgment, context, communication, and empathy become even more valuable. AI changes the tools we use, but those distinctly human capabilities become the real differentiator," he said.

For Clawson, that realization extends beyond business.

"The careers that today's students will build are likely to include technologies, industries, and job titles that don't yet exist," he said. "An education that develops judgment, curiosity, communication, and adaptability may be the best preparation for that uncertain future."

After all, very little of his own career could have been planned in advance.

"What Southwestern gave me was the ability to keep learning, adapt to new environments, and find opportunities where others saw uncertainty," Clawson said.

Curiosity and Agency

When students ask for career advice, Clawson encourages them to spend less time trying to design a perfect path and more time developing the capabilities that compound over a lifetime.

"Learn to write clearly. Ask better questions. Understand people. Connect ideas. Surround yourself with people who raise your standards. Pursue difficult problems. Take initiative. Keep learning," Clawson said.

He believes two qualities distinguish exceptional leaders across every field.

"The people I know who create the most value for their companies, communities, and themselves combine curiosity with a high degree of agency," he said. "They don't wait for the world to tell them what to do next. They learn, build, contribute, and create opportunities for themselves and others."

Looking back nearly three decades after graduation, Clawson sees Southwestern's greatest gift as something that has continued to appreciate with time.

"The world has changed dramatically since I graduated," he said. "Entire industries have emerged, others have disappeared, and technology continues to reshape how we work. Through all of that, the habits I developed at Southwestern - asking better questions, connecting ideas, and never stopping learning - have been the foundation I've returned to again and again."

Through all of that, the habits I developed at Southwestern - asking better questions, connecting ideas, and never stopping learning - have been the foundation I've returned to again and again.

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