Will Smith
Meet Will
Will Smith is a Partner, leading organizational transformation efforts for public and private sector organizations. These engagements focus on strategy development, organizational design, and team dynamics. Will joined McChrystal Group in 2011, and has worked extensively with clients in healthcare, technology, and national security. From 2017-2020, Will worked in an internal leadership role helping McChrystal Group grow its brand, geographic reach, and service integration.
What did you do before joining McChrystal Group?
I was a consultant with PwC, where I worked with aerospace clients and government clients. I also served in the US Army.
Why did you join McChrystal Group?
I joined McChrystal Group because our founder—Stan McChrystal—created an environment where all employees are encouraged to act like owners. I saw an opportunity to be creative & help grow a business, and for 9 years now the firm has continued to feel that way.
What has been your proudest moment at McChrystal Group?
Watching how our firm responded to the COVID-19 crisis. We were able to fully transform our business over a weekend in early March to focus on supporting our clients' survival and crisis management. We deployed teams into city and state governments to provide critical crisis management services which helped save lives and stabilize communities. We were able to do this because our culture was strong, and our leadership was clear, so our full team was able to pivot quickly and with confidence.
What has been your most interesting travel spot with a McChrystal Client?
Alaska! I worked with a large mineral extraction company with an Alaska site, and we got to spend a few weeks there one January—it was very cool.
BA Georgetown University
M.B.A. The Wharton School University of Pennsylvania
Written Articles/ Materials
Case Study
Unifying a Team and a Product Suite
McChrystal partnered with Intuit to help them develop and implement their “One Intuit” strategy, enabling them to not only maintain but strengthen their position in the market despite increased competition from start-ups and changing customer demands.
Improving Safety Through Changed Behaviors
A mining company was able to almost half safety incidents thanks to McChrystal Group’s newly introduced reporting programs, communications processes, and leader behaviors.
Creating Transformational Learning Moments to Develop and Grow Leaders
As the global response to COVID-19 was underway, a leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology company was spearheading technologies and treatments to combat the virus at a breakneck pace. The team’s collaboration and adaptability during the crisis saved countless lives, and while many companies would become complacent following the success of their pandemic response, one visionary Chief Digital Officer (CDO) embraced an opportunity to embed these strongly forged leadership skills into the framework of the company’s culture and ways of working like never before, breaking the mold of traditional training by replacing stale leadership training with bespoke, scenario-based social learning.
