Doug Williams

Williams lists California State University, Chico, on LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry. He recalls studying computer science and beginning in programming and customer-facing technical work.⁠[1][2]

He was a partner responsible for U.S. healthcare technology consulting at Arthur Andersen and later a managing director leading global healthcare consulting at IBM Global Services.⁠[3]

His professional biography also records approximately two years leading sales at healthcare analytics company MedeAnalytics.⁠[1]

HMS’s SEC-filed biography records Williams as Aveta’s chief information officer from 2010 to 2013; Aveta subsequently became part of Optum. His Empactful Advisors biography also describes responsibility for information technology at Optum Provider Services.⁠[4][3]

Williams joined HMS as division president of Commercial Solutions, entering the leadership team of the healthcare cost-management business.⁠[4][5]

He became division president of Markets, overseeing state-government, federal and commercial markets as well as sales and marketing.⁠[4]

Williams became president of Markets and Product, adding responsibility for product management and payment-integrity services.⁠[4]

HMS appointed Williams executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective that day. His remit encompassed coordination of benefits, payment integrity, product innovation and delivery, enterprise operations, sales, account management and advisory services.⁠[6]

The appointment terms specified a $550,000 annual base salary, a target bonus of 75% of base pay, and a $1.6 million long-term incentive award split equally between restricted stock units and stock options.⁠[6]

Williams published Shift: A Playbook for Positive Change under the name Douglas M. Williams. Target’s bibliographic listing identifies a 144-page paperback from Performance Publishing Group, released January 14, 2020, with ISBN 9781946629630.⁠[7]

The book addresses personal and professional development through listening, teamwork, negotiation, responding to setbacks and remaining present.⁠[7]

During Williams’s tenure as chief operating officer, HMS completed its merger with Gainwell and became a wholly owned subsidiary. Eligible HMS common shares were converted into the right to receive $37 in cash per share.⁠[8][5]

Payer Compass, a healthcare reimbursement-technology and price-transparency business, announced Williams’s appointment as an independent director. The announcement still identified him as HMS’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.⁠[5]

Williams cofounded Empactful Advisors with Jimmy Leppert, Justin Wasserman and Salvatore DeTrana, serving as board chair. The consulting firm works on strategy execution, business transformation and turnarounds.⁠[9][10][3]

School of Hard Knocks released an interview with Williams discussing behavioral- and digital-health investing and coaching entrepreneurial teams.⁠[2]

He emphasized understanding customers, defining differentiation, and aligning organization and metrics with growth. Reflecting on investment mistakes, he stressed partners’ character and shared objectives.⁠[2]

He also described protecting family time, exercising early, and enjoying golf, sailing, hiking and road cycling.⁠[2]

Empactful Capital’s website lists Williams as a general partner, while Empactful Advisors lists him as cofounder and board chair. Both organizations link to the same LinkedIn profile.⁠[11][3]

Empactful Advisors: Official website: https://www.empactfuladvisors.com/ (opens in a new window). Empactful Capital: Official website: https://www.empactfulcapital.com/ (opens in a new window). LinkedIn: Public account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-williams-5372733 (opens in a new window). His book is Shift: A Playbook for Positive Change.⁠[3][11][7]