William Bates is Executive Vice President of the Council on Competitiveness and was the founding Executive Director of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. Bill is a recognized expert in global competitiveness and innovation and provides policy analysis and strategic advice to the Council’s president & CEO. He coordinates special projects and supervises the organizations’ outreach to both domestic and foreign government policymakers and the international media.

Bill is the chief architect of the Council’s National Competitiveness Forum (NCF) the annual C-suite conversation that helps set a pro-growth agenda for the U.S. policymakers. He co-authors the Council’s Clarion Call, released each year at the NCF to identify critical issues affecting America’s ability to compete and prosper in the global economy. He is a frequent speaker both nationally and internationally on a range of competitiveness and innovation topics from education to technology policy.

As the first Executive Director of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC), Bill helped establish and build the network of over 30 competitiveness councils from around the world. He managed the U.S. Council’s role as secretariat to the GFCC, oversaw membership engagement and outreach and directed the development of annual policy reports, including Best Practices in Competitiveness Policy.

Bill is an officer to two Boards serving as the Secretary and Treasurer to the Council and the Secretary to the GFCC.

He previously served as Director of Government Relations for the United States Telecom Association. Prior to that, he was Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to House Commerce Committee member, U. S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) where he advised the Congresswoman on a wide range of technology issues including telecommunications, biotechnology and intellectual property. Before joining Ms. Eshoo, he was an Associate with the Washington, DC-based public affairs company, Cassidy & Associates.

With more than twenty years of experience working for and with government policymakers, Bill brings a unique combination of political and policy expertise to the Council. He holds a master degree in Government from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor degree in Government and History from Cornell University. In his spare time, he runs marathons and is a writer of fiction.