William M. Williams
Biography
William M. Williams is a senior aviation safety executive, educator, and former naval aviator with more than three decades of experience spanning military aviation, commercial aerospace, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and regulatory integration. He is widely recognized for building and leading safety management systems (SMS), conducting complex mishap investigations, and guiding the safe integration of emerging aviation technologies into the National Airspace System (NAS).
Currently, Mr. Williams serves as a Senior Aviation Safety Officer/Aviation Safety Inspector at The Boeing Company, supporting military and government flight test programs including the F/A-18, V-22, P-8, and MQ-25. In this role, he leads SMS implementation, conducts safety assessments and risk management for flight operations, maintains risk registers, and serves as lead investigator for aircraft mishaps and incidents. He also ensures compliance with Boeing, U.S. Navy, and DCMA flight safety requirements.
In parallel, Mr. Williams is an Instructor at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, where he teaches courses in aviation safety and security, drawing on real-world operational, regulatory, and investigative experience.
Previously, Mr. Williams was Director of Safety and Regulatory Strategy for UPS Flight Forward, where he led the company to become the first FAA-validated Part 135 drone airline with an approved Safety Management System. He played a central role in advancing UAS regulatory strategy, FAA partnerships, and autonomy integration, including involvement in the first type-rated UAS approved to operate in the NAS.
His career also includes senior leadership roles at Insitu, World View Enterprises, the Federal Aviation Administration, and FAA UAS Test Sites and research organizations, where he directed flight operations, mishap investigations, human factors analyses, and national-level UAS integration efforts. As an FAA research pilot and human factors engineer, he supported the development of flight standards and NextGen operational concepts for crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
Mr. Williams was a career naval officer and aviator, with extensive experience in shipboard aviation operations, large-scale joint and interagency air operations, and high-tempo contingency environments. His military service included leading aviation safety programs, directing complex multinational flight operations, and earning consecutive Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Safety Awards.
He holds a Master of Aeronautical Science in Aviation Safety and Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Citadel. His qualifications include commercial pilot certification (fixed and rotary wing, instrument rated), FAA Part 107 certification, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, AS9100 auditor training, and advanced education in aviation law, safety, and litigation support.