A family man first, and a creator at heart.
Innovator, leader, and calligrapher.
Nothing is .Tap “impossible”
No risk is not worth taking.
Family is what matters most to me. Creating is the essence of who I am: imagining what could be, then leading the way to build it.
Above all, my priority is my wife and our three amazing daughters. They are my world.
I was on stage from the age of 6, acting in plays all the way through college and collecting art and drama awards along the way. At eight I was given a Super 8 camera, and I have never stopped putting stories to film. I played clarinet all through high school, always first chair. At the same time I was managing bands, running a record label, and building a design business with clients around the world, and at 19 I was a vice president of marketing communications. I went on to found an award-winning advertising agency, then served as Global Chief Creative Officer for IBM Interactive. I am a calligrapher and an artist, with an education in architecture, behavioural sciences, and future studies. For many years I have revived hereditary, historical, and genealogical societies and championed historical preservation and education. Today I design heirloom pieces for societies, clubs, and museums, and compose journeys for special, selected clients who are, or become, friends.
Shervin B. Hawley
Virtue before self. Open each element to see where it lives on the arms.
Overall a Mullet of four points throughout Or.
The golden four-pointed star is a lodestar, a guiding light. Set over the whole field, it expresses the supremacy of these values over self-interest. Its four points stand for trust, honour, sacrifice, and kindness.
Argent two Pallets Gules.
A silver field with two red pallets. They suggest pillars of steadfastness and perseverance.
A demi male griffin Gules armed and winged Or supporting with the forefeet a staff erect ensigned by a mullet of four points Or.
A male griffin, for boldness, strength, integrity, and protection. Combining the eagle and the lion, it also alludes to the United States and England. Its staff stands for determination and support, crowned by the lodestar to reinforce the motto.
The helm, with mantling in red and silver.
The steel helm carries the crest, and the mantling flows from it in red and silver, the colours of the shield.
La Vertu Devant Soi.
Virtue before self. I asked only that the motto express this principle. It reflects a tradition on both sides of my family, through several generations, of placing principle above personal advantage, often at considerable personal, professional, or financial cost. Sometimes at the cost of life.
A male griffin's head couped Gules armed and erased Or within a regularly interlaced enneagram every second point connected Gules.
The badge unites my Persian and English heritage.
Honorary grant, College of Arms, London.
Granted 31 January 2026. I entrusted the design to Peter O’Donoghue, York Herald.
These days my threads come together in two places: designing heirloom pieces through Hawley & Allan, and composing journeys for friends old and new through Emersify.
Preserving what came before, and opening the world to those who come next.
I love revising and reinvigorating social groups, especially hereditary, historical, and genealogical societies, many of which I have led for years.
I am dedicated to historical preservation, and to teaching the stories, symbols, and craft that keep history alive.
I founded World Springboard to give young people their first meaningful journey into the wider world, travelling with a parent or close family member. Where barriers end, discovery begins.
worldspringboard.org →My life has never been a ladder of jobs. It is a weave. Each risk opened the door to the next adventure, and every thread still runs through everything I create today.
I was on stage from age 6, acting in plays all the way through college and winning many art and drama awards. At eight I was given a Super 8 camera, and I have never stopped putting stories to film.
Tap a role, or follow a thread.
Dream boldly. Create fearlessly.
Lead with heart.
Every great house keeps a visitors’ book. Leave your name, where you’re from, and a line or two, then choose a stamp for your page. Only I will see what you write.
I read every note myself, and I always enjoy meeting kindred spirits.
For design work or travel, you can also visit Hawley & Allan or Emersify.