The Todd A. Williams Executive-in-Residence Speaker Series is designed to connect Austin College students with leading business executives who can speak about their practical life experiences in business, personal stories regarding their paths to success, and lessons learned along the way.
The annual sessions also offer an alumni-student gathering to enhance mentoring and networking opportunities within the Austin College community.
The program, begun in fall 2007, is funded by gifts from Todd and Abby Williams of Dallas. Todd Williams, a 1982 summa cum laude graduate of Austin College who earned an MBA (with distinction) from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, retired as a managing director at Goldman Sachs. “I was a tremendous beneficiary of professors and alumni mentors telling me about doors that I could open when I didn’t even know a door was there,” Todd said, “and it’s our sincere goal to help provide this same benefit for others at the College.”
2021 - William Roberts '73
Former Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer
Baylor Scott & White Health
2020 - Melissa Thompson '84
Senior Vice President for
Talent Acquisition
Nielsen Company
2019 - Shelley McKinley '91
Vice President of Microsoft Technology & Corporate Responsibility Group
2018 - Caryn Schenewerk '99
Senior Counsel and Senior Director
Spaceflight Policy for SpaceX
2017 - John Mendel '76
Retired Executive Vice President
American Honda Motor Company
2016 - Nicole Small
President of LH Holdings, Inc.
CEO of the Lyda Hill Foundation
2015 - J. Puckett
Senior Partner & Managing Director
Boston Consulting Group
2014 - Don Daseke
President and CEO
Daseke, Inc.
2013 - Ron Kirk '76
former United States
Trade Representative
2012 - Greg Rohan
CEO
Heritage Auction Galleries
2011 - Garrett Boone
Chair Emeritus and Co-Founder
The Container Store
2010 - Dennis Gonier ‘83
CEO
Tarp Worldwide
2009 - Kirk Rimer
Managing Director
Goldman Sachs
2008 - Dana Garmany
CEO
Troon Golf
2007 - Todd Maclin
CEO, Commercial Bank
J.P. Morgan Chase