Barry Lawson Williams is the retired Managing General Partner of the investment and consulting company that he founded in San Francisco in 1987. Williams Pacific Ventures (WPV) focuses on startups, acquisitions and real estate. Williams recently retired from the board of Jacobs Inc., the last of his 14 major public company boards.
Williams was born on July 21, 1944, in New York City. He attended Harvard University where he received an A.B. degree in government with honors in 1966 and M.B.A and J.D. degrees in 1971. Williams is a member of the California Bar.
From 1971 to 1978 he was a management consultant at McKinsey and Company in the United States and several Latin American countries. From 1979 to 1987 he worked for the Bechtel Group. He served as corporate secretary, then executive assistant to the president, and finally managing principal of Bechtel Investments, Inc. At Bechtel, helped start the direct investment function that included oil and gas, real estate and diversified investments in venture capital, alternative energy, retirement centers and financial services. He assisted in the acquisition of Dillon Read & Company and served on its board of directors.
Since founding WPV in 1987, Williams has served as Managing General Partner. He was, during late 2000-2001, the interim President and CEO of the American Management Association Inc. He has also taught an entrepreneurship course at the Haas (U.C. Berkeley) Graduate School of Business for six years; been a senior environmental mediator with JAMS for six years; and an environmental site trustee for two years. Within WPV, he has been the owner operator of five businesses.
In civic affairs, Williams has been the past Chairman of California Pacific Hospitals, the founder of African American Experience Fund under the National Parks Foundation and chairman of Management Leadership for Tomorrow. He recently retired from the board of Sutter Health.
He recently was awarded the trailblazing/leadership awards by the American Leadership Forum, Black Women on Boards, and Santa Clara Business School’s Black Corporate Directors program.