Bill Hawthorne is a Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Inclusent.
He is a nationally recognized C-suite level Diversity and Inclusion thought leader with over 15 years of successful experience developing and operationalizing effective strategies for the private and public sectors.
His mission is to partner with organizations committed to achieving optimal success in the workplace and marketplace through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

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Before Inclusent, Bill served in top leadership roles as Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) for the retail giant Macy's, Inc. and Chief Equity Officer for the City of Atlanta in the Cabinet of the Mayor. In the role of SVP and CDO for Macy's, Bill led a national and multi-functional team that created and operationalized a company-wide holistic diversity and inclusion strategy designed to position Macy's as a premier employer and retailer of choice. His areas of focus included human resources, marketing, customer acquisition/retention, supplier diversity, external stakeholder engagement, and reputation management.

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As Chief Equity Officer for the City of Atlanta, Bill provided direct management oversight and strategic direction to the offices of Equity, Immigrant Affairs, Sustainability, Health, and Human Trafficking. His office partnered with Department Heads including Police, Aviation, Water, Parks, Procurement, and others to improve equitable outcomes. His office also formed and cultivated strategic alliances with a host of business and nonprofit organizations to achieve more equitable policies and practices for the city’s residents.

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Bill began his career in the public sector as a prosecutor in the offices of the City Solicitor and Fulton County District Attorney in Atlanta.

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Bill has held board appointments with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, New York Urban League, City of New York Corporate Advisory Board and received numerous national awards for Corporate and Community D&I leadership.

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Bill is an honors graduate of Morehouse College and the Emory University School of Law.