James Williams
Global C-Suite Executive ✦ Board Member ✦ Executive Succession ✦ Business Transformation ✦ Growth Strategy
Polaris Inc.•Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area
View LinkedIn ProfileExecutive Overview
𝗝𝗶𝗺 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗢, known as a business thought leader who transforms and builds organizational capability through strategic change leadership. Throughout his career he has consistently delivered a human capital agenda in support of clearly-diagnosed customer needs. As a global executive, Jim has shepherded holding companies, operating companies, and hybrid organizations across both mature and hyper-growth business conditions. He has overseen in excess of 100 mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, all with blue chip Fortune 500 companies spanning a myriad of industries, markets, channels and technologies. Jim has 19 years of boardroom presence and influence, and is regarded as best in class at executive and leadership identification and development. He is known as a plain-speaking, no-nonsense, critical-thinking problem-solver voraciously committed to top and bottom-line business results. Throughout his career, he has been called on to orchestrate a number of multi-faceted enterprise initiatives that elevated organizational performance and built sustainable shareholder value. Jim is heralded as a consigliere, a mentor, and a coach to the CEO, executive team and the Board. He sits in and actively participates in every Board meeting, and owns the Compensation Committee. While known as a collaborator, he is unabashed about offering a perspective on pressing business issues. 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧 • Board, CEO, Executive Succession • Enterprise Change Leadership • Crisis Management • Organization Transformation / Growth • Valued perspective from Multi-Industry engagements • Significant Global Experience • Buy & Sell M&A / Large-Scale Integration
Career Timeline
- Polaris Inc.Current2011–Present· 15 yrs 8 mos
- Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources OfficerCurrent2011–Present
- 2006–2011· 5 yrs
- SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Cooper Industries2006–2011
- 2005–2006· 1 yr
- SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer2005–2006
- 1995–2005· 10 yrs
- Vice President, Human Resources1995–2005
- 1990–1995· 5 yrs
- Human Resources Manager and Team Leader1990–1995
- 1984–1990· 6 yrs
- Labor Relations Specialist1984–1990
Education
Master of Business Administration - MBA
Washington University in St. LouisBachelor of Science - BS
Industrial and Labor Relations
Cornell University