William recently served as Acting Director of the Mowat Centre, leading the centre successfully through a period of transition and providing expert support on a variety of key files. Previously, he spent a number of years in the Ontario Public Service. He has served as the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and has held interim assignments as Deputy Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Aboriginal Affairs, and Economic Development and Trade.

He has also held Assistant Deputy Minister roles in the ministries of Training, Colleges and Universities, Economic Development and Trade, Public Infrastructure Renewal, International Trade and Investment, and Intergovernmental Affairs.

William spent several years in the federal government at the Department of Finance and the Science Council of Canada. He holds a M.Sc. in Economics from the University of London (UK) and a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from York University. His research interests include public finance, intergovernmental relations, economic development and program evaluation.