About Bill
Based in Johannesburg, Bill leads our work with retailers and consumer goods companies across Sub-Saharan Africa. He works closely with clients on strategy, growth and operations issues, and is leading a major McKinsey initiative to develop insights into consumer spending, preferences and behavior across Africa.
Bill’s expertise includes merchandising, category strategy, assortment optimization, format redesign, and supply-chain transformation. Recent example’s of his work include:
- helping to develop growth strategies for consumer companies Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa, each of which resulted in significant market share gains
- leading an end to end merchandising transformation for a leading African retailer
- leading a large store operations transformation for a leading apparel retailer
- developing a new grocery format for a leading African retailer
- supporting the design and implementation of a supply chain transformation program for a leading FMCG company
Prior to joining McKinsey. Bill spent 7 years as a US naval officer and submariner, earning a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the US Naval Nuclear Power School. He joined McKinsey in Atlanta, relocating to South Africa in 2007.
Published work
“Winning the $30 trillion decathlon,” McKinsey, August 2012
“Africa’s path to growth: 200 million new customers,” McKinsey Quarterly, June 2010
Past experience
| Southwire, Inc. |
Business transformation team leader |
| Phelps Dodge |
Manager, strategic planning and business development |
| US Navy |
Nuclear submarine officer |
Education
| Georgia State University, Robinson School of Business |
MBA |
| US Naval Nuclear Power School |
MEng in nuclear engineering |
| Georgia Institute of Technology |
BS in electrical engineering |