Cheryl Williams

Cheryl Williams, Ph.D., is a highly regarded and respected subject matter expert on Human Resource Development competencies. Her work aims to connect the global workforce in areas that reconcile the ‘diversity-inclusion-equity-belonging’ equation, cultural intelligence, gender equity, inter-and intra-race relations, intercultural communication behaviors, and leadership across multiple boundaries. She spent over thirty years in higher education, media/entertainment, and high technology industries dedicated to these ideals.

Dr. Williams serves as Professor Emeritus at Concordia University, Irvine, California (CUI). Cheryl has traveled to and worked in over eighty countries spanning Europe, Asia/South East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa/Southern Africa, South America, and North America.

She launched her consulting practice, Communication Works, in 1997. She collaborates with multi-national, Fortune 500 companies, individuals, and non-profits to provide related training, development, and consulting in this role. As an HRD and Inclusion/Equity/Diversity specialist, Cheryl has designed, developed, and delivered over 8000 learning programs to global audiences. As an author, she co-developed an Inclusive Behavior Profile, an exceedingly popular and sound psychometric assessment tool. She co-authored the highly regarded textbook “Inclusive Leadership: From Awareness to Action.” (2019) and “Inclusive Leadership: Global Impact” (Second Edition) 2021.

Academically, Dr. Williams is a practicing cultural anthropologist and uses grounded thought leadership frames as her benchmark for excellence. She is steadfast in her commitment to valuing, respecting, and listening to all people as a necessary cornerstone for success in an organization.

Dr. Williams received her Ph.D. in intercultural/international communications from The Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida). She has a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN). She resides in Costa Mesa, California, USA.