The Leadership Health Crisis: Rich Williams, Senior VP at Hexaware Technologies, Shares His Wake-Up Call
Download MP3In this compelling episode of Data Hurdles, hosts Chris Detzel and Michael Burke sit down with Rich Williams, Senior VP and Head of Data Partnerships and Strategy at Hexaware Technologies. Rich shares his remarkable health transformation journey, from weighing 280 pounds and facing life-threatening medical complications to losing over 100 pounds and completely reinventing his approach to wellness.
Rich candidly discusses his wake-up call—a serious medical emergency involving gallstone pancreatitis that left him contemplating mortality on a hospital bed. This pivotal moment led him to make the bold decision to step away from his high-powered career for 15 months to focus exclusively on his health.
Throughout the conversation, Rich offers valuable insights on how high-stress leadership roles in data and consulting can silently erode health through demanding schedules, workplace food culture, and constant pressure. He breaks down his comprehensive approach to wellness into four key components: food, body, mind, and sleep, sharing practical strategies that helped him succeed where previous attempts had failed.
The episode explores how Rich completely reframed his identity, treating his health transformation as a "Project Me" with the same strategic approach he would use for client work. Listeners will gain actionable advice on developing sustainable healthy habits, overcoming setbacks, and prioritizing self-care as the foundation for leadership success rather than an afterthought.
Creators and Guests
Guest
Rich Williams
Rich Williams is a seasoned, team-first leader with over 17 years of experience in the Data & AI industry, currently serving as Senior VP and Head of Data Partnerships and Strategy at Hexaware Technologies. Throughout his career, he has advised CXOs at dozens of Fortune 500 companies across industries, specializing in GenAI, Data Science, Analytics, BI, Governance, and Engineering. Prior to joining Hexaware, Rich served at Tredence where he built and grew the Data Engineering Practice 20X in just four years, scaling from a small team to over 100 professionals in North America. He established crucial partnerships with industry giants like Databricks and Snowflake, helping secure Elite Partner status and multiple Retail & Consumer Goods Partner of the Year awards. Rich's professional journey includes significant roles at Accenture (5.5 years) and Opera Solutions (6 years), where he honed his expertise in consulting after beginning his career in March 2008 – coincidentally on the day Bear Stearns failed. He excels in strategy development, vision setting, and storytelling, with a particular talent for helping organizations transform ideas into reality. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Rich is passionate about health and wellness, having undergone a remarkable personal transformation where he lost over 100 pounds after a life-threatening health crisis. This experience led him to temporarily step away from his career for 15 months to focus on rebuilding his health, an investment he considers the most valuable of his life. Now an avid stair climber who runs a weekly climbing club, Rich applies the same strategic approach to wellness that brought him success in business, breaking down health into four key components: food, body, mind, and sleep. Rich is dedicated to mentoring others, both in their professional development and personal wellness journeys, embodying his belief that taking care of oneself is the foundation for leadership excellence and career success.
