John I. Williams, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Education | Amherst College, BA, Harvard University, JD/MBA |
| Employer | Celeritas Center for Intercultural Equity |
| Known for | Former president, Muhlenberg College |
| Board member of | Amherst College, Kent School |
| Spouse | Tree |
John I. Williams Jr. is the former and 12th president of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.[1] He was the first African American to be named president of a Lutheran college.
Williams currently serves as co-founder and president of the Celeritas Center for Intercultural Equity, a Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving educational and career opportunities and equity for Black, Latinx, and other underrepresented minority students.[2]
Williams began his career as the first African American to be hired by Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm. He later served in several capacities under American Express's first Black chief executive officer Kenneth Chenault, including as senior vice president of strategic planning, vice president of the U.S. Platinum Card, senior vice president of marketing information services, and senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Travel Network.[3]
Prior to becoming the president of Muhlenberg, Williams was chief executive officer of Biztravel.com and, later, Sentient Jet. He managed the consulting services group for Eduventures and, later, served as a partner in the higher education practice at The Bridgespan Group, a non-profit spinoff of Bain & Company. Between 2010 and 2015, Williams served as an Expert-in-Residence at Harvard University’s Innovation Lab.