Todd A. Williams
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.”
2019 - Shelley McKinley, Vice President of Microsoft’s Technology and Corporate Responsibility Group
2018 - Caryn Schenewerk, Senior Counsel and Senior Director of Spaceflight Policy for SpaceX
2017 - John Mendel, retired Executive Vice President of American Honda Motor Company
2015 - J. Puckett, Senior Partner & Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group
2014 - Don Daseke, President and CEO of Daseke, Inc.
2013 - Ron Kirk, former United States Trade Representative
2012 - Greg Rohan, CEO of 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
