Margaret A. Kwawer, JD, found herself at a crossroads when her youngest child headed off for college, and after contemplating what she wanted to do with her time, she recognized that she had always wanted to attend law school. Refusing to give up on her dreams, she leveraged her background in compliance, risk, and finance to make the transition. After passing the LSAT, she faced a two-year waitlist at St. Louis University but was fortunate to instead join the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she participated in a pilot program in cooperation with the America Bar Association that included in-person and online learning components. In 2020, she graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence and was admitted to the Missouri Bar.
Since 2023, Ms. Kwawer has thrived as a compliance attorney for Surge Ventures LLC, a regulatory and compliance technology company. In her role, Ms. Kwawer is responsible for fielding questions from current clients who use the company’s platform, working with artificial intelligence technology professionals to answer questions on how the products should work, and determining how to improve upon software that is already in use. Ascribing her success to her constant desire for knowledge, she advises aspiring professionals to maintain a lifelong commitment to learning. Ms. Kwawer also stresses the importance of building a robust and supportive professional network, especially for women, to help with career progression and ensure longevity in any industry. She believes strongly that women need to support one another.
Before making the major career transition to law, Ms. Kwawer started as a field supervision director and branch manager with Edward Jones in 2006. After five years with the company, she began working in compliance advertising review and subsequently became the assistant vice president and supervision manager with Wells Fargo Advisors in 2012. In 2015, she rose to become the first vice president of product management with the company, where she excelled for four years. From 2019 to 2023, Ms. Kwawer was a senior vice president and senior lead business execution consultant for Wells Fargo. Vastly qualified, she first pursued higher education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and management. She completed numerous certification examinations through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), including the Series 7 and Series 63 examinations in 2004 and the Series 66 examination in 2005. In 2006, Ms. Kwawer completed the Series 10, Series 9, and Series 24 examinations. In recognition of her professional achievements, she was honored with the Illinois Young Careerist Award in 2008.
Staying abreast of developments in her disciplines, Ms. Kwawer maintains membership in the Missouri Bar, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, and the National Society of Compliance Professionals. She gives back to her community as a board member for Helping Hand Me Downs, a nonprofit organization that provides necessities to families, and Payback, a restorative justice organization for youth offenders and victims. A proud military veteran, Ms. Kwawer served her country in the U.S. Army from 1989 to 1994. She was an E-4 adjutant general and a certified Humvee driver for five years before her honorable discharge. For her service, she received two Army Achievement Medals.
To this day, Ms. Kwawer is passionate about her work. She remains focused on helping people achieve mutually beneficial solutions to problems. She’s also highly motivated to continue learning and growing throughout her life and career, as she views seeking knowledge as an exciting journey and adventure. Away from working or helping to improve her community, Ms. Kwawer enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and experiencing the joys of life that eluded her when she was younger. She especially loves entertaining others and sampling new foods and wines.