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Department of Public Policy Leadership
University of Mississippi

Austin SpindlerAustin Spindler

Manager of Public Affairs, PwC 

Hometown: Savannah, Tennessee
BA in Public Policy Leadership (2018)
Minor in Political Science
LinkedIn Profile 

After graduation, Austin Spindler worked in Strategic and Member Development for the National Journal Group of Atlantic Media, then in Government Relations at Transamerica. He is currently a policy advocate and skilled communicator with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the “Big Four” accounting firms. As a Manager of Public Affairs, he focuses on government relations and external affairs.

When and why did you decide to study public policy leadership?
When I came to Ole Miss, I was undecided about my major. After becoming involved in the Associated Student Body and other campus organizations, I got to know students in public policy leadership and learned more about the program. Realizing the unique attributes of the program, especially the plethora of alumni working on Capitol Hill, I quickly worked to join the Lott Leadership Institute and learn how policy was crafted, shaped, and implemented throughout the United States. 

Please discuss highlights of your undergraduate experience.
My campus involvement was the highlight of my career at the University of Mississippi. Whether it was working with the BIG Event, serving the Associated Student Body as a senator, on the ASB Vice President’s staff, as ASB Secretary, and as senior executive assistant to the ASB President, volunteering with the Food Bank, or working as Vice President for Public Relations for the Interfraternity Council, I was able to hone the leadership skills that the Lott Leadership Institute nurtured in me. The program provided me the opportunity to make long-lasting, quantitative changes and impacts on our university community – and that made the entire experience. 

Please talk about your path since graduation and career goals at this point.
Following graduation, I joined National Journal’s government affairs consulting and research group, organizing partnerships between the research arm of the company with senior executives in government affairs for Fortune 500 companies and leading trade associations in Washington, D.C.  

I then joined the government and policy affairs team of Transamerica, a leading life insurance and asset management company in the financial services industry. I provided administrative support to our entire government and policy affairs team, while overseeing our Political Action Committee activities and relationships with the various trade associations and coalitions that make up the financial services industry. Additionally, I covered a portfolio of legislative issues key to Transamerica, its policyholders, and everyday Americans, such as data privacy, diversity and inclusion, and retirement security. 

My ideal career path would take me to being a lead lobbyist for a major corporation in the financial services industry or head of a trade association within this industry.