About

Ambassador (ret.) Bisa Williams enjoyed a full career as Foreign Service Officer with the US Department of State with assignments in Latin America, Africa, Europe, New York, and Washington, DC. Highlights as an FSO include her tours in Panama in the late-80s, at the National Security Council, as Coordinator for Cuban Affairs, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Ambassador to Niger, and DAS for African Affairs.

In 2016, she co-founded Williams Strategy Advisors, LLC (WSA) with her brother, Paul T. Williams, Jr. and led WSA’s efforts to identify international and domestic clients seeking problem-solving advisory services.  She also began providing pro-bono advisory services to the University of Chicago-affiliated NigerHeritage project to build a state-of-the-art dinosaur museum and cultural resource center in Niger.

In 2017, Amb. Williams began her work as Special Advisor on Mali for The Carter Center, charged with leading The Carter Center’s efforts as Independent Observer of Implementation of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, resulting from the Algiers process.  She continues in that capacity to this day.  She joined Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs as Senior Fellow and Lecturer in 2021 where she teaches courses on peacebuilding and the Sahel.  Last year, Ambassador Williams returned temporarily to the US Department of State as Senior Advisor on Africa for the US Mission to the United Nations.

Ambassador Williams has authored or co-authored articles for Foreign Affairs Magazine, Al Jazeera, and Air Mauritius Magazine and appeared on various TV, radio, podcast, and webinar programs.  She holds a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College of the National Defense University in Washington, DC, and a Master of Arts degree (and is ABD) in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles.