For more than 20 years, Dr. Williams has advised leaders and organizations worldwide to adopt quality as an organizational strategy. He assists leaders in developing holistic learning organizations through collective action, deep learning, and a results orientation. A scholar-practitioner of the science of improvement, he brings evidence-based theories and practical improvement methods to develop capability and achieve results. He works in large systems and across sectors including business, healthcare, education, public safety, and government. He is a senior member of the American Society of Quality and a member of the Quality Texas Foundation.
Dr. Willams is a popular and engaging keynote speaker at conferences and events worldwide. As a keynote or featured teacher, he connects with audiences and is known for making rigorous improvement practical and accessible.
Dr. Williams is a lead faculty for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program and faculty for the IHI Open School and the Harvardx Massive Open Online Course “Practical Improvement Science in Healthcare.” He developed IHI’s Chief Quality Officer Professional Development Program
Dr. Williams started his career as a volunteer firefighter and worked as a paramedic in cities across the United States. He is an expert in ambulance service system design and consults with EMS systems around the world.
Dr. Williams earned a B.S. in EMS Management and an M.S. in Emergency Health Services Management. He also earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Systems where his research focused on the obstacles to patient-centric EMS system design.
A native of western Massachusetts, Dr. Williams lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Gwen and their two children. He is an alum of the 2013 Leadership Austin Essential Class and served as Vice Chairman of the Board of CommUnityCare (Federally Qualified Health Center system) and now serves the Travis County Commissioners Court as a member of the Advisory Board of Austin/Travis County EMS.